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ENVIRONMENT ...... 6 1. ENHANCED TRANSPARENCY FRAMEWORK OF PARIS PROTOCOL ...... 6 2. TAJ TRAPEZIUM ZONE (TTZ) ...... 7 3. MICROBIAL DECOMPOSER CAPSULE ...... 7 4. ACTION PLAN IMPROVING AIR QUALITY ...... 8 5. INTERNATIONAL SOLAR ALLIANCE (ISA) ...... 8 6. UNESCO GLOBAL GEOPARKS ...... 9 7. ARCTIC AMPLIFICATION ...... 9 8. MADHUCA DIPLOSTEMON ...... 10 9. PLASTIC PARKS SCHEME ...... 10 10. LIVING PLANET REPORT 2020 ...... 11 11. ASIAN WATERBIRD CENSUS-2021 ...... 11 12. MANUFACTURED SAND (M-SAND) ...... 12 13. MANAGEMENT EFFECTIVENESS EVALUATION (MEE) OF PROTECTED AREAS (PAS) ...... 13 14. NATURAL CAPITAL ACCOUNTING AND VALUATION OF ECOSYSTEM SERVICES (NCAVES) ...... 13 15. MEALWORMS FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION ...... 13 16. DRAGON FRUIT ...... 14 17. AQUA REJUVENATION PLANT (ARP) ...... 14 18. GREEN TAX TO BE IMPOSED ON OLDER VEHICLES ...... 14 19. KALINGA FROG ...... 15 20. LEUSER ECOSYSTEM ...... 15 21. SANDALWOOD SPIKE DISEASE ...... 16 22. SOLAR BIODIESEL MINIGRID SYSTEM ...... 16 23. TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENT FOR RURAL AREAS (TARA) ...... 17 24. RED EARED TURTLE ...... 17 25. GREEN VERDICT ...... 18 26. GLOBAL FOREST RESOURCES ASSESSMENT 2020 ...... 18 27. AHIMSA SILK ...... 18 28. CENTRE FOR WETLAND CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT (CWCM) ...... 19 29. WATER QUALITY IN RIVER YAMUNA ...... 19 30. GROSSLY POLLUTING INDUSTRIES (GPIS) ...... 20 31. PRADHAN MANTRI URJA GANGA PROJECT ...... 20 32. NATIONAL HYDROGEN ENERGY MISSION ...... 21 33. HEAVY METALS CONTAMINATING INDIAN RIVERS ...... 21 34. ZERO LIQUID DISCHARGE ECOLOGY ...... 22 35. MANDARIN DUCK ...... 23 36. MUKURTHI NATIONAL PARK ...... 23 37. INDIAN STAR TORTOISES ...... 24 38. NAGI- NAKTI BIRD SANCTUARIES ...... 24 39. BANANA GRIT ...... 24 40. SRIVILLIPUTHUR MEGAMALAI TIGER RESERVE ...... 25 1 www.journalsofindia.com January to July 2021

41. BLENDING HYDROGEN INTO NATURAL GAS PIPELINES...... 25 42. RAVI CHOPRA HIGH-POWERED COMMITTEE ...... 26 43. HAMBURG ACTION PLAN ...... 26 44. INDIA ENERGY OUTLOOK 2021 ...... 26 45. WORLD SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT SUMMIT 2021 ...... 27 46. GO ELECTRIC CAMPAIGN ...... 27 47. ATMOSPHERIC & CLIMATE RESEARCH – MODELING OBSERVING SYSTEMS & SERVICES (ACROSS) ...... 28 48. SPECIES RECOVERY PROGRAMME ...... 28 49. SENDAI FRAMEWORK ...... 29 50. PROJECT RE-HAB OF KARNATAKA ...... 30 51. FOOD WASTE INDEX REPORT 2021 ...... 30 52. WORLD AIR QUALITY REPORT, 2020 ...... 31 53. WHALE SHARK ...... 31 54. PENCH TIGER RESERVE ...... 32 55. SEA BUCKTHORN CULTIVATION IN HIMACHAL PRADESH ...... 32 56. BLACK-BROWED BABBLER ...... 32 57. SWACHHTA SAARTHI FELLOWSHIP ...... 33 58. CLIMATE DATA SERVICE PORTAL ...... 33 59. CONTAMINATION OF GROUNDWATER DUE TO ARSENIC AND FLUORIDE...... 34 60. KEN BETWA RIVER LINK PROJECT ...... 34 61. WORLD WATER DAY 2021 ...... 34 62. ASIATIC CHEETAH RELOCATION ...... 34 63. INDIAN RHINO VISION 2020 (IRV2020) ...... 35 64. VOLUNTARY VEHICLE SCRAPPING POLICY ...... 35 65. WORLD WILDLIFE DAY ...... 36 66. PANEL TO RECOMMEND NORMS TO CUT TREES ...... 36 67. INDIA: TRANSFORMING TO A NET-ZERO EMISSIONS ENERGY SYSTEM REPORT ...... 37 68. IUCN STATUS OF AFRICAN ELEPHANT ...... 37 69. GULF OF MANNAR BIOSPHERE RESERVE ...... 38 70. GIR SANCTUARY ...... 38 71. KEIBUL LAMJAO NATIONAL PARK ...... 38 72. LION-TAILED MACAQUE ...... 39 73. KHARAI CAMELS ...... 40 74. QCI SURVEY ON WATER BODIES ...... 40 75. MAHENDRAGIRI BIOSPHERE RESERVE ...... 41 76. MANAS NATIONAL PARK ...... 42 77. GLOBAL WIND REPORT, 2021 ...... 43 78. BANDHAVGARH NATIONAL PARK ...... 43 79. NEW PLANT SPECIES NAMED AFTER SHARAD PAWAR...... 43 80. NATIONAL POLICY FOR RARE DISEASES, 2021 ...... 44 81. DRAFT PLASTIC WASTE MANAGEMENT (AMENDMENT) RULES, 2021 ...... 44 2 www.journalsofindia.com January to July 2021

82. AMENDMENT TO FOREST CONSERVATION ACT (FCA) ...... 45 83. SATKOSIA TIGER RESERVE ...... 46 84. HIMALAYAN BROWN BEAR ...... 46 85. BEAST OF FIVE TEETH ...... 47 86. MONKEYDACTYL ...... 47 87. WHITEST PAINT ...... 47 88. NATIONAL CLIMATE VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT REPORT ...... 48 89. GODZILLA SHARK ...... 49 90. PANGOLIN ...... 49 91. DISK FOOTED BAT ...... 50 92. TIKI FORMATION ...... 51 93. STATE OF THE GLOBAL CLIMATE FOR 2020 ...... 51 94. LEADERS’ SUMMIT ON CLIMATE ...... 52 95. EARTH DAY, 2021 ...... 53 96. XYLOPHIS DEEPAKI ...... 53 97. BRYOCRUMIA MALABARICA ...... 54 98. GLOBAL FOREST GOALS REPORT 2021 ...... 54 99. MOORHEN YOGA MAT ...... 55 100. PARKER SOLAR PROBE ...... 56 101. GLOBAL METHANE ASSESSMENT ...... 57 102. SHUVUUIA DESERTI ...... 58 103. GREEN URJA AWARD ...... 58 104. WHITLEY AWARD ...... 59 105. MOUNT PUMORI OF EVEREST MASSIF ...... 60 106. SUBDOLUSEPS NILGIRIENSIS ...... 60 107. UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITES ...... 61 108. NEW BIG5 PROJECT ...... 63 109. A76 ICEBERG ...... 63 110. INTERNATIONAL BIODIVERSITY DAY, 2021...... 63 111. AMORPHOPHALLUS TITANIUM ...... 64 112. BANNI GRASSLAND ...... 64 113. NATIONAL MISSION ON USE OF BIOMASS IN THERMAL POWER PLANTS ...... 66 114. VAN GUJJAR COMMUNITY ...... 66 115. BLACKBUCK...... 67 116. CLIMATE BREAKTHROUGHS SUMMIT ...... 68 117. JAYANTI SPIDER CRICKET ...... 69 118. JAYANTI SPIDER CRICKET ...... 69 119. LITORIA MIRA FROG ...... 70 120. GLOBAL NITROGEN CONFERENCE ...... 70 121. STATE OF FINANCE FOR NATURE REPORT ...... 71 122. SDG INDIA INDEX 2020-21 ...... 72 3 www.journalsofindia.com January to July 2021

123. BLUE-FINNED MAHSEER ...... 73 124. ANTI-HAIL GUN OF HIMACHAL PRADESH ...... 73 125. SEA SNOT IN TURKEY ...... 74 126. TWO NEW NATIONAL PARKS IN ASSAM ...... 75 127. GHARIAL ...... 75 128. PROTECTION OF HERITAGE TREES IN MAHARASHTRA ...... 76 129. ARGOSTEMMA QUARANTENA ...... 77 130. PYROSTRIA LALJII ...... 77 131. WHO REPORT ON E-WASTE ...... 78 132. BLACK SOFTSHELL TURTLE ...... 80 133. LAND FOR LIFE AWARD, 2021 ...... 80 134. BENGAL MONITOR LIZARDS ...... 81 135. WORLD'S 1ST GM RUBBER ...... 81 136. GREAT BARRIER REEF’S HERITAGE STATUS ...... 82 137. 4TH TIGER RESERVE OF RAJASTHAN ...... 83 138. ANTARCTIC TREATY TURNED 60 YEARS OLD ...... 84 139. AMBERGRIS ...... 84 140. RED PANDA ...... 85 141. SPINNER DOLPHIN ...... 85 142. ENERGY COMPACT GOALS ...... 86 143. BHARITALASUCHUS TAPANI ...... 86 144. MIZORAM APPLE SNAIL ...... 87 145. LEAF COALITION ...... 88 146. 'LAST ICE AREA' OF ARCTIC ...... 89 147. VULTURE CONSERVATION IN VALMIKI TIGER RESERVE ...... 90 148. EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST (EOI) FOR THE SALE OF FLY ASH BY NTPC ...... 91 149. PROJECT BOLD BY KVIC...... 92 150. PALM CIVET SIGHTED IN SATKOSIA TIGER RESERVE ...... 93 151. LUSHAI HILLS DRAGON SNAKE ...... 93 152. NATIONAL DOLPHIN RESEARCH CENTRE(NDRC) ...... 94 153. BRYUM BHARATIENSIS ...... 95 154. INSURANCE TO HIMALAYAN YAK ...... 95 155. LEMRU ELEPHANT RESERVE ...... 96 156. 'RE-WILDING’ OF WILD ANIMALS ...... 97 157. TINY GECKO SPECIES DISCOVERED IN ODISHA ...... 98 158. EUROPEAN GREEN DEAL ...... 98 159. COMMISSION FOR AIR QUALITY MANAGEMENT IN THE NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION AND ADJOINING AREAS BILL, 2021 99 160. SWISS ALPS LANDSCAPE ALTERED BY CLIMATE CHANGE ...... 101 161. OPEN 'DEAL' INITIATIVE OF AFRICA ...... 101 162. GREAT INDIAN BUSTARD ...... 102

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163. POLLUTION OF RIVER GANGA BY MICROPLASTICS ...... 103 164. CHRYSILLA VOLUPE SPIDER ...... 104 165. GROSS ENVIRONMENT PRODUCT (GEP) OF UTTARAKHAND ...... 104 166. EARTH OVERSHOOT DAY, 2021 ...... 106 167. INDIA'S TIGER RESERVES GET GLOBAL CA/TS RECOGNITION FOR GOOD TIGER CONSERVATION ...... 106 168. DNA PROFILING OF LEOPARDS IN ODISHA ...... 107

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ENVIRONMENT

1. Enhanced transparency framework of Paris protocol

What is Enhanced Transparency Framework? • The Enhanced Transparency Framework (ETF) for action and support is a central component to the design, credibility and operation of the Paris Agreement • Specifies how parties to the agreement must report on progress in climate change mitigation, adaptation measures and support provided or received. • It also provides for international procedures for the review and evaluation of those reports. • The ETF agreed at Katowice builds (COP24) on and enhances existing Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) arrangements.

The ETF includes three elements: 1. Reporting: There are two mandatory requirements; greenhouse gas inventories, and progress tracking of NDCs. Developed countries must also provide support to developing countries in the form of finance, technology transfer, or capacity building. 2. Technical review: This verifies the information provided by countries. The aim is not to be intrusive, but to build a country’s capacity over time, helping it to identify information gaps and capacity building needs. 3. Multilateral facilitative consideration: This is for nations to inform the international community about what they are doing and share best practice and experience. Transparent information on the progress of a country’s efforts also promotes accountability.

What is global stock take? • Under the Paris Agreement, the first global stocktake will happen in 2023. • It will assess whether the net result of the climate actions being taken was consistent with the goal of keeping the increase in global average temperature from pre-industrial times to within 2 degree Celsius. • While every country is required to participate in the global stocktake, the exercise will not assess whether actions of any individual country are adequate or not. • It will only make an assessment of the “collective” efforts of the world. • It will cover not only the results of actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions but of actions being taken to adapt to the effects of climate change as well. • It will also include an assessment of whether developed countries are offering adequate help to developing countries by providing money and technology, as mandated by the Paris Agreement. • Stocktake includes the latest report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). • Apex Committee for the Implementation of the Paris Agreement (AIPA): ○ The Apex Committee for the Implementation of the Paris Agreement (AIPA) was constituted by the Indian government to ensure coordinated response to climate change matters and to keep the country on track towards meeting its climate change obligations under the Paris Agreement. ○ It will act as the national authority for regulating carbon markets within the country under the Paris agreement. ○ The committee was formed under the chairmanship of the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change secretary. ○ The committee has 17 members, responsible for formulating policies to implement the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC). ○ The committee will also regularly communicate and report the progress of India’s status in achieving its NDC to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). 6 www.journalsofindia.com January to July 2021

○ The committee will define the responsibility of different government Ministries to achieve the climate change mitigation and adaptation goals of India.

2. Taj Trapezium Zone (TTZ)

In News- The Supreme court of India lifted its earlier interim order imposing a complete ban on construction, industrial activities and felling of trees in the Taj Trapezium Zone (TTZ).

What is Taj Trapezium Zone? • The geographical limits of the Taj Trapezium Zone are defined in the shape of a trapezium lying in the Agra Division of the State of Uttar Pradesh and in the Bharatpur Division of the State of Rajasthan. • It is a defined area of 10,400 sq km around the Taj Mahal to protect the monument from pollution. • The Supreme Court of India delivered a ruling on December 30, 1996, regarding industries covered under the TTZ, in response to a PIL seeking to protect the Taj Mahal from environmental pollution. • It banned the use of coal/ coke in industries located in the TTZ with a mandate for switching over from coal/ coke to natural gas, and relocating them outside the TTZ or shutting down. • The TTZ comprises monuments including three World Heritage Sites, the Taj Mahal, Agra Fort and Fatehpur Sikri. • TTZ is so named since it is located around the Taj Mahal and is shaped like a trapezoid. • It has a four-zone which is named Red, Green, Orange and White.

Mobile apps to Display AQI- SAMEER: • Launched in October 2017, SAMEER provides information on air quality to the public. • It also has provision for registering complaints against air polluting activities. • Air quality information collection and dissemination are done from a centralized location. • It provides real-time air quality status to all stakeholders apart from hourly updates on the National Air Quality Index (AQI) published by the Central Pollution Control Board.

SAFAR: • An integrated early warning System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR) was launched to provide forecast of the Air Quality and Weather 72 hours in advance. • SAFAR is operational in four cities – Delhi, Pune, Mumbai and Ahmedabad.

3. Microbial Decomposer Capsule

In News- The scientists have developed a bio-decomposer technique called ‘PUSA Decomposers’ for converting crop stubble into compost.

Pusa Bio-decomposer- • It is a solution developed by the scientists at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, Pusa, which can turn crop residue into manure in 15 to 20 days and therefore, can prevent stubble burning. • It involves making a liquid formulation using Pusa decomposer capsules and readily available inputs, fermenting it over 8-10 days, and then spraying the mixture on fields. • It is a mix of seven fungi that produce enzymes to digest cellulose, lignin and pectin in paddy straw.

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• The fungi thrive at 30-32 degree Celsius, which is the temperature prevailing when paddy is harvested and wheat is sown.

4. Action Plan Improving Air Quality

About Action Plan Improving Air Quality- • The Central Government has launched the National Clean Air Programme as a long-term, time-bound, national-level strategy to tackle air pollution across the country in a comprehensive manner with targets to achieve 20–30 per cent reduction in PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations by 2024 with 2017 as the base year • 102 non-attainment cities, mostly in Indo-Gangetic Plains, have been identified on the basis of ambient air quality data for the period of 2011– 2015 and WHO report 2014/2018. • The city-specific action plans have been approved for all these cities for implementation. • The Central Government had notified a Comprehensive Action Plan in 2018 identifying timelines and the implementing agencies for actions identified for prevention, control and mitigation of air pollution in the NCR. • Graded Response Action Plan was notified on January 12, 2017, for prevention, control and abatement of air pollution in the NCR. • It also proposes state-level plans of e-mobility in the two-wheeler sector, rapid augmentation of charging infrastructure, stringent implementation of BS-VI norms, boosting public transportation system, and adoption of third-party audits for polluting industries. • It identifies graded measures and the implementing agencies for response to four AQI categories, namely, moderate to poor, very poor, severe and severe+ or emergency.

5. International Solar Alliance (ISA)

In News- For a second time, India has been elected as the President of the ISA for a term of two years. France has been re-elected as the Co-President of the ISA.

About ISA- • ISA was jointly launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and the then President of France Francois Hollande on November 30, 2015 in Paris, France on the side-lines of the 21st Conference of Parties (CoP 21) to the UNFCCC. • The ISA Framework Agreement was opened for signature on November 15, 2016 in Marrakech, Morocco, on the side-lines of CoP-22. • It is an alliance of more than 122 countries initiated by India, most of them being sunshine countries, which lie either completely or partly between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn, now extended to all members of the UN. • The Paris Declaration establishes ISA as an alliance dedicated to the promotion of solar energy among its member countries. • It intends for global deployment of over 1,000GW of solar generation capacity and mobilisation of investment of over US$ 1000 billion into solar energy by 2030. • When the ISA Framework Agreement entered into force on December 6th, 2017, ISA formally became a de-jure treaty based International Intergovernmental Organization, headquartered at Gurugram, India. • The objective of the ISA is to mobilize member countries, seek commitments from international organisations and mobilize private sector, to support rural and decentralised applications, access to affordable finance, island and village solar mini grids, rooftop installations, and solar e-mobility technologies. 8 www.journalsofindia.com January to July 2021

6. UNESCO Global Geoparks

In news- The Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) is making efforts to get recognition of a geopark for Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh) consisting of Erra Matti Dibbalu (red sand dunes), natural rock formations, Borra Caves and volcanic ash deposits.

UNESCO Global Geopark- • UNESCO Global Geoparks are single, unified geographical areas where sites and landscapes of international geological significance are managed with a holistic concept of protection, education and sustainable development. • UNESCO Global Geoparks empower local communities and give them the opportunity to develop cohesive partnerships with the common goal of promoting the area's significant geological processes, features, periods of time, historical themes linked to geology, or outstanding geological beauty. • While there are 161 UNESCO Global geoparks spread across 44 countries, India is yet to have one of its own.

Global Geoparks Network (GGN)- • The Global Geoparks Network (GGN), of which membership is obligatory for UNESCO Global Geoparks, is a legally constituted not-for-profit organisation. • The GGN was founded in 2004 and is a dynamic network where members exchange ideas of best practise to raise the quality standards of a UNESCO Global Geopark. • While the GGN as a whole comes together every two years, it functions through the operation of regional networks, such as the European Geoparks Network that meets twice a year to develop and promote joint activities. • It is managed under the UNESCO’s Ecological and Earth Sciences Division.

Difference between UNESCO Global Geoparks, Biosphere Reserves and World Heritage Sites: • Biosphere Reserves focus on the harmonised management of biological and cultural diversity. World Heritage Sites promote the conservation of natural and cultural sites of outstanding universal value • UNESCO Global Geoparks give international recognition for sites that promote the importance and significance of protecting the Earth’s geodiversity through actively engaging with the local communities. • A World Heritage Site or Biosphere Reserve can apply for the UNESCO Global Geopark status. However, clear evidence has to be provided on how UNESCO Global Geopark status will add value by being both independently branded and in synergy with the other designations.

7. Arctic Amplification

In News- A team of scientists have identified iodic acid (HIO3) which is the driver of new aerosol particle formation in the Arctic.

Arctic Amplification or Arctic Warming- • Over the past 30 years, the Arctic has warmed at roughly twice the rate as the entire globe, a phenomenon known as Arctic amplification.

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• This means that global warming and climate change are impacting the Arctic more than the rest of the world. • Global temperatures from 2000–2009 were on average about 0.6°C higher than they were from 1951– 1980. The Arctic, however, was about 2°C warmer.

Reasons for Arctic Amplification- • Change in Albedo • Changing Ocean currents • Changing Weather

Iodic acid influences cloud formation at the North Pole- • An international team of scientists have identified iodic acid as a novel driver of new aerosol particle formation in the Arctic, which subsequently influences the formation of clouds. • By reflecting the sun’s rays back into space or trapping heat close to the Earth’s surface like a blanket, clouds help either cool off or warm up the planet. • Iodic acid is formed in the atmosphere from the oxidation of iodine or other molecules containing iodine.

8. Madhuca Diplostemon

In News- Madhuca diplostemon tree has been rediscovered after a gap of more than 180 years from a sacred grove in Kollam district, Kerala.

Madhuca diplostemon- • The tree is locally known as Kavilippa in Malayalam. • Belongs to family Sapotaceae. • It is a threatened species of the Western Ghats whose specimen was first collected in 1835. • It has been identified by the scientists at the Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botanic Garden and Research Institute (JNTBGRI) at Palode, Kerala. • The threatened species of the Western Ghats was believed to be extinct. • This is the second time a tree of this species has ever been located and only one mature tree has been found so far. • Since the species is represented only by one specimen in a single locality, it is eligible to be categorised ‘Critically Endangered’ by the IUCN.

9. Plastic Parks Scheme

In News- Union Minister for Chemicals & Fertilizers has said that the government is coming up with a scheme of Setting up of Plastic Parks through cluster development approach.

Key Points • A Plastic Park is an industrial zone devoted to plastic enterprises and its allied industries. • The Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers has approved setting up of 10 Plastic Parks in the country. • Major Objectives are to Increase the competitiveness, polymer absorption capacity and value addition in the domestic downstream plastic processing industry through adaptation of modern measurers. • In phase-I of the scheme, four Plastic parks in the States of Assam (Tinsukia), Madhya Pradesh (Raisen), Odisha (Jagatsinghpur) & Tamil Nadu (Thiruvallur) are approved for implementation.

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• In Phase-II of the scheme, preliminary proposals were received from the States of Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh, Punjab, West Bengal, Uttarakhand, Manipur, Jammu & Kashmir and Rajasthan and two plastic parks in the States of Jharkhand (Deogarh) and Madhya Pradesh (Bilaua) have been given ‘final approval’. • Implemented by a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) which shall complete the setting up of the Plastic Park in a period of three years from the date of final approval. • The Central Government provides grant funding up to 50% of the project cost, subject to a ceiling of Rs. 40 crore per project. • The remaining project cost is to be funded by the State Government, beneficiary industries and by loan from financial institutions.

10. Living Planet Report 2020

In News- The Living Planet Report is published by the World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF) in collaboration with the Zoological Society of London (ZSL.)

Key findings- • It is a biennial report (published every two years.) • The population of vertebrate species declined by around 68 per cent between 1970 and 2016. • The average two-thirds decline in global populations of mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles and fish in less than 50 years in large parts is due to the same environmental destruction, which is contributing to emergence of zoonotic diseases such as Covid-19. • One in five plants is threatened with extinction.

India’s scenario • India has lost 12 percent of its wild mammals, 19 per cent amphibians and 3 per cent birds over the last five decades. • India’s ecological footprint per person is less than 1.6 global hectares (gha) / person (smaller than that of many large countries).

What is not tracked by the Living Planet Index? • The numbers of species lost or extinct • Percentage of species declining • Percentage of populations or individuals lost

11. Asian Waterbird Census-2021

In news- Asian Waterbird Census-2021 was carried out in Andhra Pradesh.

About Asian Waterbird Census- • It takes place every January. • This citizen-science event is a part of the global International Waterbird Census (IWC) that supports the conservation and management of wetlands and waterbirds worldwide • The annual census will be done by the Forest Department with technical support from the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) and Wetland International as part of the Asian Waterbird Census-2020. • The prime objective of the census is to assess the status of the wetlands and water birds, apart from documenting the migratory birds and its habitats. 11 www.journalsofindia.com January to July 2021

International Waterbird Census (IWC)- • IWC is coordinated by Wetlands International and is a monitoring programme operating in 143 countries to collect information on the numbers of waterbirds at wetland sites. • There are 5 separate regional schemes of the IWC that represent the major flyways of the world: 1. Africa-Eurasia(AEWC) 2. Asia-Pacific(AWC) 3. Caribbean(CWC) 4. Neotropics(CNAA) 5. Central America(CCAA) • In most countries the census is coordinated professionally, and in many countries professionals also carry out much of the fieldwork (although often on a voluntary basis).

12. Manufactured sand (M-Sand)

In news- Recently, the High Court of Karnataka has struck down the fee rule on M-sand and other materials.

What is M-Sand? • M-Sand is artificial sand produced from crushing hard stones into small sand sized angular shaped particles, washed and finely graded to be used as construction aggregate. • It is a superior alternative to River Sand for construction purposes. • The sand obtained through this process is further refined by removing fine particles and impurities through sieving and washing. • The Karnataka State has 164 M-sand manufacturing units and produces 20 million tonnes of M Sand per annum. • Karnataka, Maharashtra, Gujarat have separate section for M-sand in the State Minor Mineral Concession Rules. • Apart from Karnataka, the other States working in the direction to promote M-sand are Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat.

Difference between River Sand and M-Sand

Parameters M-Sand River Sand

Process Manufactured in a Factory Naturally available on river banks

Moisture content Moisture is available only in water Moisture is trapped in between particles washed M sand which are good for concrete purposes

Concrete strength Higher Concrete strength compared lesser Concrete compared to M sand to river sand.

Silt content Zero silt Minimum permissible silt content is 3%. It may have 5-20& silt content

Cement M-Sand is free of impurities such as It needs more cement Consumption clay, dust and silt and has denser particle packing than natural sand particles, hence saves cement requirement in concrete production.

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13. Management Effectiveness Evaluation (MEE) of Protected Areas (PAs)

In news- The Environment Minister releases MEE of 146 National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries and also launched a framework for the Management Effectiveness Evaluation of Indian Zoos (MEE-ZOO) and Marine PAs.

India’s Protected areas (PAs) - Current status: • Protected areas (PAs) are the cornerstone of efforts to conserve biodiversity and the environment and provide associated recreational, economic and social benefits to humans. • PA management effectiveness evaluation (MEE) is defined as the assessment of how well NP&WLS are being managed—primarily, whether they are protecting their values and achieving the goals and objectives agreed upon. • India has systematically designated its PAs in four legal categories viz. National Parks, Wildlife Sanctuaries, Conservation Reserves and Community Reserves under Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 and as per this Act. • Among 903 PAs, 101 National Parks, 553 Wildlife Sanctuaries, 86 Conservation Reserves and 163 Community Reserves (as on 1st January, 2020). • The National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries are presently the categories being subjected to evaluation through MEE process. • MEE is based on IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA). • According to the survey, Tirthan Wildlife Sanctuary and Great Himalayan National Park in Himachal Pradesh have performed the best among the surveyed protected areas. • The Turtle Wildlife Sanctuary in Uttar Pradesh was the worst performer in the survey.

14. Natural Capital Accounting and Valuation of Ecosystem Services (NCAVES)

In news- The Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation is to organize NCAVES India forum in collaboration with United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD), European Union and UN Environment.

About NCAVES- • The project seeks to advance the theory and practice of environmental and ecosystem accounting in several countries. The project will have a duration until the end of 2021. • It is funded by European Union through its Partnership Instrument (PI). • The main objective of the UNSD-led project is to mainstream natural capital accounting and the valuation of ecosystem services in data-driven decision and policy-making at the national, regional and local levels. • The project is covering five piloted countries- India, Brazil, China, South Africa and Mexico.

15. Mealworms for Human consumption

In news- European Food Safety Agency/Authority (EFSA) has approved 'yellow grub' or mealworms as edible human food recently.

What are mealworms? • In general, Mealworms are the larval form of the mealworm beetle, Tenebrio molitor, a species of darkling beetle. • Mealworms are typically used as a pet food for captive reptiles, fish, and birds. • While mealworms are already part of pet food in the European Union, the new development by EFSA allows mealworms to be used whole and dried. • Now, these worms can be used in curries and soups as well as in biscuits, pasta and bread. 13 www.journalsofindia.com January to July 2021

• A handful of EU states including Finland, Belgium and the Netherlands -- already permit sales of bug- containing foods in shops. • Mealworms have historically been consumed in many Asian countries, Africa and Australia.

Health benefits of Mealworms- • Mealworms are useful for their high protein, fat and fibre content. • Mealworm larvae contain levels of potassium, copper, sodium, selenium, iron and zinc that rival that of beef. • Mealworms contain essential linoleic acids as well. • They also have greater vitamin content by weight compared to beef, B12 not included.

16. Dragon Fruit

In news- Recently, the state government of Gujarat has renamed the Dragon fruit as Kamalam as it has the shape of the lotus flower.

What is dragon fruit? • It is the fruit of a species of wild cactus indigenous to South and Central America, where it is called pitaya or pitahaya. • It grows in all kinds of soil, and does not require much water. • Pitaya’s flesh is usually white or red, although there is a less common yellow pitaya too and is studded with tiny seeds rather like the kiwifruit. • Pitaya flowers bloom overnight and usually wilt by the evening. • They rely on nocturnal pollinators such as bats or moths for fertilization. • Vietnam is the world’s largest producer and exporter of dragon fruit, the Dragon fruit plant was brought by the French in the 19th century. • It was brought to India in the 1990s, and is grown in Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Odisha, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, and Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

17. Aqua Rejuvenation Plant (ARP)

In news - CSIR-Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute, Durgapur unveiled the first-ever WasteWater Treatment Technology Model which purifies WasteWater for Irrigation/Farming purposes.

What is Aqua Rejuvenation Plant? • It is an Integrated Waste Water Rejuvenation Model which has Six-Stage purification profile for comprehensive treatment of Waste Water, based upon diverse purification parameters. • The approx. 24,000 litres of water that can be rejuvenated using ARP will be sufficient for almost 4 acres of Agricultural Land. • The treated water which is now being used for irrigation can be used even for drinking purposes . • The filtered sludge generated is also utilized as manure / fertilizer.

18. Green tax to be imposed on older vehicles

In news- The Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways has approved a proposal to levy a “Green Tax” on old vehicles which are polluting the environment.

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What is a green tax? • It is imposed on the environment polluting goods or activities, to discourage people from anti-ecological behaviour and make them sensitive towards the environment.

Key principles of levying Green Tax- • Transport vehicles older than 8 years could be charged Green Tax at the time of renewal of fitness certificate, at the rate of 10 to 25 % of road tax. • Personal vehicles to be charged Green Tax at the time of renewal of Registration Certification after 15 years. • Public transport vehicles, such as city buses, to be charged lower Green tax. • Higher Green tax (50% of Road Tax) for vehicles being registered in highly polluted cities. • Differential tax, depending on fuel (petrol/diesel) and type of vehicle. • Vehicles like strong hybrids, electric vehicles and alternate fuels like CNG, ethanol, LPG etc…vehicles used in farming, such as tractor, harvester, tiller etc.. to be exempted. • Revenue collected from the Green Tax to be kept in a separate account and used for tackling pollution, and for States to set up state of-art facilities for emission monitoring. • The Minister also approved the policy of deregistration and scrapping of vehicles owned by Government department and PSU, which are above 15 years in age. It is to be notified, and will come into effect from 1st April, 2022.

19. Kalinga Frog

In news- Recently, the scientists have reported a first-of-its-kind discovery of morphological phenotypic plasticity (MPP) in the Kalinga cricket frog (( MPP is the ability of an organism to show drastic morphological (physical features) variations in response to natural environmental variations or stimuli)).

About Kalinga Cricket Frog- • Its documentation was done in 2018 was thought to be endemic to the hill ranges of the Eastern Ghats, especially found on the higher-elevation hill ranges of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh. • Its scientific name is Fejervarya / Minervarya Kalinga. • In the present research communication, the team have reported the Kalinga cricket frog from the central Western Ghats. • According to them the physical characteristics of the species in Eastern Ghat vary entirely from the known Fejervaraya / Minervarya species from the Western Ghats. • There are contrasting morphometric differences in terms of head shape and size; the number and size of the fingers vary from two to four, toe sizes were observed to be smaller in the frog species found in the Western Ghats. • The researchers said that it is the first-of-its-kind finding in amphibian research in India.

20. Leuser Ecosystem

In news- Recently, an investigation by global watchdog Rainforest Action Network (RAN) has shown that food and cosmetic companies as well as financial institutions have links with companies implicated in the destruction of the Leuser Ecosystem. About the Leuser Ecosystem- • The Leuser Ecosystem is an area of forest located in the provinces of Aceh and North Sumatra on the island of Sumatra in Indonesia 15 www.journalsofindia.com January to July 2021

• It is one of the richest expanses of tropical rain forest in Southeast Asia. • This rainforest is said to be the only place left on Earth where tigers, orangutans, elephants and rhinos still coexist in the wild. • Palm oil, Pulp and Paper industries and mining continue to threaten its ecosystem therefore deforestation is bringing the Leuser Ecosystem’s wildlife to the very brink of extinction. • Around 70-75% of Aceh’s people live on the coastal plains of Sumatra, where many communities have established wet rice cultivation.

21. Sandalwood Spike Disease

In news- Sandalwood trees in India, particularly in Karnataka and Kerala are facing a serious threat with the recent return of the destructive Sandalwood Spike Disease (SSD).

About the disease- • Spike disease caused by phytoplasma bacteria is the major disease of sandalwood. • Spike disease is characterized by extreme reduction in leaf size accompanied by stiffening and reduction of internode length. • In the advanced stage, the entire shoot gives the appearance of a spike of inflorescence. • Spiked trees die within 1–2 years after the appearance of visible symptoms. • It can be noticed only when the tree gets completely affected. • As of now there is no cure for the disease. • Presently, there is no option but to cut down and remove the infected tree to prevent the spread of the disease. • The disease was first reported in Kodagu of Karnataka in 1899.

Types of sandalwood - • White Sandalwood: Scientific name is Santalum album, found in southern India and Southeast Asia, mostly in the states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. IUCN status is vulnerable. • Red Sandalwood: Scientific name is Pterocarpus santalinus. It is a small tree that grows to 5-8 meters in height and has a dark grayish bark and Wood is extremely hard, found in southern parts of the Eastern Ghats in India, mainly in forest tract of Andhra Pradesh. IUCN Red List status is “Near Threatened.”

22. Solar Biodiesel MiniGrid System

In news - CSIR – CMERI has dedicated Solar – Biodiesel Mini Grid System to the Nation.

About Solar – Biodiesel Mini Grid System- • It is an Off-grid Solar Biodiesel Hybrid Mini Grid of 50kW peak capacity system for providing 24X7 power to CoEFM Residential Colony. • These high power centralized generation systems also warrant investment on expensive Transmission & Distribution infrastructure leading to higher transmission losses. • Applications- • Can be a unique solution for uninterrupted power in remote areas, villages, hilly areas etc. • Has applications in Smart city projects, because of its inherent smart features with respect to integration of different sources. • Unlike in rural areas, power requirements of domestic loads in cities are higher along with huge fluctuations due to varied usage patterns making the power balancing a challenging issue. 16 www.journalsofindia.com January to July 2021

• It is also being used to run 10hp& 5hp agricultural pumps.

23. Technological Advancement for Rural Areas (TARA)

In News- Women weavers from Dudhwa Tiger Reserve profit from technological interventions for their looms

About Technological Advancement for Rural Areas (TARA)- • These technological interventions were realized with funding support under the TARA Scheme of Science for Equity, Empowerment & Development (SEED) Division, and Department of Science & Technology (DST). • This scheme under SEED programmes is essentially to provide long term core support to Science based Voluntary Organizations/field institutions to promote and nurture them as “S&T Incubators” / “Active Field Laboratories” in rural and other disadvantaged areas to work and provide technological solutions. • Eligibility Conditions & Selection Mechanism- • Organizations with minimum 10 years field level experience in rural technology development and management. • Having minimum infrastructure to work as a core supported group (CSG), like land and demonstrate working relations with Panchayats/State Govt. • The organization should have experience in handling projects having focus on S&T with support from scientific departments of Govt. of India. • If approved, core funding is provided initially for a period of five to ten years subject to periodic review which may be expandable upto fifteen years and more. • Dudhwa National Park- • The Dudhwa Tiger Reserve is a protected area in Uttar Pradesh. • Stretches mainly across the Lakhimpur Kheri and Bahraich districts Comprises the Dudhwa National Park, Kishanpur Wildlife Sanctuary and Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary. • It shares the north-eastern boundary with Nepal, which is defined to a large extent by the Mohana River. • Only place in U.P. where both Tigers and Rhinos can be spotted together. • The park has some of the best forests of 'Sal' trees in the world.

24. Red Eared Turtle

In news- The turtle was recently found in the Kalathode canal, Kerala.

About Red-eared Turtles (Trachemys scripta elegans)- • The Red-eared Slider is considered one of the world’s top 100 worst invasive species. • Originated from the area around the Mississippi river and the Gulf of Mexico, they live in still and warm water bodies such as ponds, lakes, streams, and slow- running rivers. • It is a semi aquatic turtle belonging to the family Emydidae. • It is a subspecies of the pond slider. • The red-eared slider turtles are considered a major threat to native turtle species, as they mature fast, grow larger, and produce more offspring, and are very aggressive. • They can out-compete native turtles for food, nestling, and basking sites. • As they eat plants and animals, they can finish off a wide range of aquatic species, including fish and rare frogs. • IUCN status – Least Concern.

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25. Green Verdict

In News- NITI Aayog has commissioned a study that seeks to examine the “unintended economic consequences” of judicial decisions that have hindered and stalled big-ticket projects on environmental grounds.

What is Green Verdict? Judicial decisions of the Supreme Court or the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on environmental grounds that hindered and stalled big-ticket projects are informally known as Green Verdict.

26. Global Forest Resources Assessment 2020

In news- A latest digital report containing the

About Global Forest Resources Assessment 2020- • FRA 2020 examines the status of, and trends in, more than 60 forest-related variables in 236 countries and territories in the period 1990–2020. • It is led by the Forestry Department of the Food and Agriculture Organization. • Highlights of the 2020 report- • The rate of forest loss in 2015-2020 declined to an estimated 10 million hectares (mha), down from 12 million hectares (mha) in 2010-2015. • The world lost 178 mha of forest since 1990, an area the size of Libya, according to the report. • However, the rate of net forest loss decreased substantially during 1990–2020 due to a reduction in deforestation in some countries, plus increases in the forest area in others through afforestation. • The largest proportion of the world’s forests were tropical (45 per cent), followed by boreal, temperate and subtropical.

27. Ahimsa silk

• Ahimsa silk is a method of non-violent silk breeding and harvesting. • Wild silk moths are bred, rather than the domestic variety. • It allows the completion of the metamorphosis of the silkworm to its moth stage, whereas most silk harvesting requires the silkworms to be killed in their cocoon stage. • No animals suffer or die for the silk to be produced, making it a favorable alternative to normal silk for those who do not believe in harming animals. 18 www.journalsofindia.com January to July 2021

• The pupa is allowed to hatch and the leftover cocoon is then used to create silk. • The quality of Eri silk is often seen as inferior to that of the silk created by the offspring of the Bombyx mori moth. • Peace silk requires 10 extra days in the process to let the larvae grow and the moths to hatch out of the cocoons, in contrast, the less humane process takes about 15 minutes. • At this later stage the cocoon yields one-sixth of the filament. • This inflates the cost of nonviolent silk, which is priced about twice the price of the regular kind.

28. Centre for Wetland Conservation and Management (CWCM)

In news - Recently the Union government announced the establishment of CWCM as a part of the National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management (NCSCM).

About the Centre for Wetland Conservation and Management (CWCM)- • The center would address specific research needs and knowledge gaps and will aid in the application of integrated approaches for conservation, management and wise use of the wetlands. • It helps in building partnerships and networks with relevant national and international agencies. • WCM would serve as a knowledge hub and enable exchange between State/ UT Wetland Authorities, wetland users, managers, researchers, policy-makers and practitioners. • It would also assist the national and State/ UT Governments in the design and implementation of policy and regulatory frameworks, management planning, monitoring and targeted research for its conservation.

29. Water quality in River Yamuna

In news- Recently, the Union Minister of State for Jal Shakti has given information on Pollution Level in Yamuna River during lockdown.

Key updates- 1. Water Quality of River Yamuna within the Delhi stretch at Palla, was complying with respect to Primary water quality criteria for bathing viz. pH, Dissolved Oxygen (DO) and Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD), whereas, the water quality at Nizamuddin bridge and Okhla U/S was not complying with respect to Primary water quality criteria for bathing in terms of DO and BOD. 2. As compared to pre-lockdown period i.e. March, 2020, at Palla, improvement in terms of BOD was observed and at locations Nizamuddin Bridge and Okhla U/S, improvement in terms of both DO and BOD was observed.

The improvement in water quality has been attributed to: 1. Release of fresh water from Wazirabad Barrage and availability of dilution in river Yamuna; 2. Stoppage of industrial effluent discharge due to lockdown; 3. Good penetration of solar radiation in water body due to washing out of bottom sediments, settleable and colloidal form of pollutants in river Yamuna due to discharge of fresh water from Wazirabad barrage; 4. Absence of human activities such as throwing of garbage, bathing, washing of clothes etc...

What is Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD)? • Biochemical oxygen demand is the amount of dissolved oxygen needed by aerobic biological organisms to break down organic material present in a given water sample at a certain temperature over a specific time period.

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• Dissolved oxygen (DO) is a measure of how much oxygen is dissolved in the water - the amount of oxygen available to living aquatic organisms. • It is an important parameter in assessing water quality because of its influence on the organisms living within a body of water. • A dissolved oxygen level that is too high or too low can harm aquatic life and affect water quality.

30. Grossly Polluting Industries (GPIs)

Grossly Polluting Industries (GPI) are defined as the industry which is discharging wastewater more than 100 kilo litres a day and/or hazardous chemicals used by the industry as specified under the Schedule-I, Part-II of The Manufacture, Storage and Import of Hazardous Chemical Rules of 1989 under Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.

Classification of Industrial Units- • Chemicals: which mainly include fertilizer, petro-chemical , pesticides and pharmaceuticals, distillery; Dairy, Food & Beverage; Pulp and Paper; Sugar; Tannery; Textile, Bleaching & Dyeing; Other (Cement, Slaughter house, Ordinance, Packaging & printing, Paint, Electronics& Electrical, Thermal, Kattha –kachh, Electroplating, Metallurgical, automobile etc...

Key findings & level of pollution by GPIs- • There are 764 grossly polluting industries discharging wastewater to the main stem of River Ganga and its two important tributaries Kali-east and Ramganga in Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal. • Out of 764 industries, 687 are located in Uttar Pradesh. • The water consumed by grossly polluting industries is 1123 MLD. • Total wastewater generated by grossly polluting industries is 501 MLD. • This is 45% (approx) of total water consumed. • In terms of number of industrial units, the tannery sector is dominating whereas in terms of wastewater generation Pulp & paper sectors dominate followed by chemical and sugar sectors. • It is observed that GPI in Bihar generate minimum wastewater in terms of water consumed whereas GPI in West Bengal generate maximum wastewater followed by Uttarakhand. • In the riverine system Ramanga carries maximum industrial wastewater followed by main stream of river Ganga and Kali-East respectively.

31. Pradhan Mantri Urja Ganga project

In news- GAIL completed the 340 kilometer pipeline from Dobhi in Bihar to Durgapur in West Bengal which is part of the Pradhan Mantri Urja Ganga project.

A brief note on the project- • The pipeline will bring to the West Bengal state cooking fuel that is cheaper than LPG and CNG that costs less than petrol and diesel, and fuel to produce urea for all its requirements. • The pipeline will provide gas to Matix fertiliser plant at Durgapur, which can produce "the entire requirement of urea of West Bengal • Besides supplying gas that is cheaper than alternate liquid fuels to industries, the pipeline would also bring the city gas network in towns along its route. Pradhan Mantri Urja Ganga project is a gas pipeline project launched in 2016 and will cater to the energy requirements of five states, namely Uttar Pradesh (338 KM), Bihar (441KM), Jharkhand (500KM), Odisha (781KM) and West Bengal (542). 20 www.journalsofindia.com January to July 2021

Key features- • The project is also known as Jagdishpur – Haldia & Bokaro – Dhamra Pipeline Project (JHBDPL). • Aim is to have a gas based economy and to enhance the share of gas in the energy basket to 15%. • The project is committed to provide the household members health safety by providing clean fuel with the piped gas to the locals of Varanasi and later to Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal and Odisha. • The seven main station cities include Varanasi, Patna, Bokaro, Jamshedpur, Kolkata, Ranchi, Bhubaneswar and Cuttack as the major beneficiaries of the project. • The main trunk of the pipeline ends at Haldia (West Bengal) and Dhamra (Odisha). • The government also plans to create 25 industrial clusters in these states which can utilise the gas as fuel and generate employment in these areas.

32. National Hydrogen Energy Mission

In news- Recently, the Union finance Minister, during the budget speech announced the National Hydrogen Energy Mission. In November 2020, Prime Minister had announced plans to launch a National Hydrogen Energy Mission, buttressing India’s green energy credentials with the carbon emission-free next-generation fuel.

India and Hydrogen energy- • India is a participant, one among 16 nations or groupings, in the Mission Innovation Renewable and Clean Hydrogen Challenge. • A report titled 'India Country Status Report on Hydrogen and Fuel Cells', launched by the Department of Science and Technology says that Hydrogen with its abundance, high energy density, better combustion characteristics, non polluting nature etc, have vast advantages over the conventional fuels. • The use of hydrogen can reduce the CO2 related emissions significantly at the point of use. • A 'Hydrogen Valley Platform' is also in the works, courtesy the Department of Science and Technology. • As per the Potential Role of Hydrogen in India report, by 2050, nearly 80% of India’s hydrogen is projected to be ‘green’ – produced by renewable electricity and electrolysis • Currently, 30 research projects in India are supported under the hydrogen and fuel cell programme of the Department of Science and Technology. ‘Hydrogen Valley’ is a geographical area – a city, a region, an island or an industrial cluster - where several hydrogen applications are combined together into an integrated hydrogen ecosystem that consumes a significant amount of hydrogen, improving the economics behind the project. It should ideally cover the entire hydrogen value chain: production, storage, distribution and final use.

33. Heavy Metals Contaminating Indian Rivers

In news- A study conducted by Central Water Commission (CWC) shows that two-thirds of the water quality stations spanning India’s major rivers showed contamination by one or more heavy metals.

Key findings- • India’s major rivers showed contamination by one or more heavy metals, exceeding safe limits set by the Bureau of Indian Standards. • Samples from only one-third of water quality stations were safe. • The rest or 65% of the 442 sampled were polluted by heavy metals. • Iron emerged as the most common contaminant with 156 of the sampled sites registering levels of the metal above safe limits.

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• None of the sites registered arsenic levels above the safe limit. ((Arsenic contamination is a major environmental issue that affects groundwater. However, the CWC exercise was restricted to surface water)). • Long-term exposure to the above-mentioned heavy metals may result in slowly progressing physical, muscular, and neurological degenerative processes that mimic Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, muscular dystrophy and multiple sclerosis. • Other contaminants found in the samples were lead, nickel, chromium, cadmium and copper. • Arsenic and zinc are the two toxic metals whose concentration was always obtained within the limits throughout the study period. • The main sources of heavy metal pollution are mining, milling, plating and surface finishing industries. • Reasons for contamination were “population growth and rise in agricultural and industrial activities”.

Heavy metals are generally defined as metals with relatively high densities, atomic weights, or atomic numbers. Heavy metals are known to be naturally occurring compounds, but anthropogenic activities introduce them in large quantities in different environmental compartments

34. Zero Liquid Discharge Ecology

In news- The Aqua Rejuvenation Pilot Plant (ARP) installed at CSIR-CMERI recently can help to reach towards a Zero Liquid Discharge Ecology

The Aqua Rejuvenation Pilot Plant (ARP) of CSIR- • To remove the water contaminants & to purify the sewage water ,CSIR-CMERI developed innovative technology in combination with chemical & physical processes such as ○ Mechanical segregation & filtration ○ Coagulation-flocculation techniques and ○ Chemical/physical adsorption. • It comprehensively treats wastewater, based upon diverse purification parameters. • The approx. 24,000 litres of Water that can be rejuvenated using ARP, will be sufficient for almost 4 acres of Agricultural Land (barring seasonal variations in water requirements). • It is capable of removing all pollutants from sewage (below W.H.O recommended level) and based upon geographical variations they may be modified. • The filter media is also locally source-able so as to ensure that there would not be any stress in the supply chain for scaled-up manufacturing of ARP.

How does it purify sewage water? The methods of purification applied by CSIR-CMERI in this technology are • Sedimentation (settlement of flocculated or coagulated particles) • Filtration (process of removing solids from Liquid) and • Aeration (Oxidation and Hydration).

Significance of the technology • ARP has maximum capacity to treat 40,000 litres/day in its scaled-up version. With this technology, CSIR- CMERI will incrementally reach towards a Zero Liquid Discharge Ecology. • The treated water processed from the ARP is preferable for agricultural purposes and with enhanced settling time it can be used for drinking purposes.

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• This treated water will help to improve the environment by fixation of carbon dioxide and will also provide food security.

What is a Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD)? • It refers to a treatment process in which the plant discharges no liquid effluent into surface waters, in effect completely eliminating the environmental pollution associated with treatment. • A systematic ZLD is made up of the following components: • Pre-treatment (physicochemical and Biological) • RO (membrane processes) • Evaporator and crystallizer (thermal processes)

35. Mandarin Duck

In news: The rare, most beautiful Mandarin Duck has been spotted at Maguri beel in Assam recently.

About Mandarin Duck- • The mandarin duck is a perching duck species native to the East Palearctic. • It is closely related to the North American wood duck, the only other member of the genus Aix. • Aix is an Ancient Greek word which was used by Aristotle to refer to an unknown diving bird. • Considered the most beautiful duck in the world, it was first identified by Swedish botanist, physician and zoologist Carl Linnaeus in 1758. • This bird breeds in Russia, Korea, Japan and northeastern parts of China. • It now has established populations in Western Europe and America too. • IUCN status: Least Concern

Why is its recent visit to Assam important? • Though it visits India but it does not fall in its usual migratory route. • There are only a handful of recorded sightings here. • It was recorded in 1902 in the Dibru river in the Rongagora area in Tinsukia. • More recently, it was sighted in Manipur’s Loktak Lake in 2013, and in Saatvoini Beel in Manas National Park and Tiger Reserve in Assam’s Baksa district 2014. • While the duck is not a globally threatened species, spotting one is always considered significant because they only make “rare appearances.

36. Mukurthi National Park

In news: In order to prevent wildfire, fire lines have been constructed in the Mukurthi National Park.

About the Mukurthi National Park- • Location: Situated in the Western corner of Nilgiris Plateau in the Nilgiri district of Tamil Nadu. • It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site(2012) and was formerly known as Nilgiri Tahr National Park. • The Park is sandwiched between the Mudumalai National Park and the Silent Valley National park. • The park is a part of Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. • It was established with the prime motive of conservation of its keystone species, the Nilgiri Tahr. • The park is characterized by montane grasslands and shrublands interspersed with sholas. • Billithadahalla, Pykara and Kundah rivers flow through the park. • Native Tribes are Thodas. 23 www.journalsofindia.com January to July 2021

Nilgiri Tahr- • It is also known as Nilgiri Ibex. • It is the state animal of Tamil Nadu. • The Adult males of NilgiriTahr species develop a light grey area or “saddle” on their backs and are hence called “Saddlebacks”. • IUCN status – Endangered

37. Indian Star Tortoises

In News- Indian star tortoises were seized while being smuggled from Andhra Pradesh to Odisha.

Geographic Range- • Indian star tortoises(Geochelone elegans) is found in three discrete portions of the Indian subcontinent: ○ The first is in western India and extreme southeastern Pakistan (e.g., Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh in India and the Thar Desert in Pakistan), ○ The second is in southeastern India (Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu), ○ The third is on the island of Sri Lanka. • No subspecies are recognized, although there are regional variations in color and morphology. • Sri Lankan tortoises may have more contrasting shell patterns with broader yellow markings and they tend to reach larger sizes than southern Indian tortoises. • Indian star tortoises occupy a wide range of habitats, including moist deciduous forest, semi-arid lowland forests, thorn scrub forests, arid grasslands, and semi-desert. • These tortoises have a high tolerance for seasonally wet or dry habitats, with many populations living in areas with a monsoon (rainy) season followed by an extensive hot and dry period. • Wild Life Protection Act 1972: Schedule IV • IUCN Status: Vulnerable

38. Nagi- Nakti bird sanctuaries

In News- 1st bird festival at Nagi- Nakti bird sanctuaries in Bihar to start from Jan 15.

Nagi- Nakti Bird Sanctuaries- • Nagi Dam and Nakti Dam are although two different sanctuaries but they can be taken as one bird area due to their closeness. • These sanctuaries are a home to a wide variety of indigenous species and migratory birds that turn up during the winters from places like Eurasia, Central Asia, the Arctic Circle, Russia and Northern China. • Over 136 species of birds have been spotted at these sanctuaries. • Birdlife International, a global body, has held the Nagi Dam Bird Sanctuary to be globally important for conservation of birds' population and has declared it as an important bird area. • There's a unique rock formation in Jamui area. In our country, this rock formation is available only in Hampi in Karnataka.

39. Banana Grit

In News- Scientists at the CSIR-National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology (NIIST) at Pappanamcode, Kerala have come up with a new product, Banana Grit, developed from raw Nendran bananas.

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About Banana Grit- • The product resembles ‘rava’ and broken wheat. • Billed as an ideal ingredient for a healthy diet, banana grit can be used for making a wide range of dishes. • The granules can be used for making upma, or it can be mixed with banana powder for porridge, with milk or coconut milk for use as a health drink. • The concept was introduced to utilise the presence of resistant starch in bananas, which is reported to improve gut health.

Some facts about Nendran Banana- • Nendran Banana or famously known as Chengalikodan is a banana variety originated and cultivated in Chengazhikodu village of Thrissur District in Kerala. • It is now cultivated on the banks of the Bharathapuzha river. • It has got the Geographical Indication registration (GI tag) from the Geographical Indications Registry, Chennai. • Generally consumed ripe, it also finds use in typical Kerala dishes such as avial and thoran.

40. Srivilliputhur Megamalai Tiger Reserve

In news- Recently, the Central Government has given its approval for the creation of Srivilliputhur Megamalai Tiger Reserve as a fifth tiger reserve in Tamil Nadu.

More about it- • Srivilliputhur Grizzled Giant Squirrel Sanctuary and Megamalai Wildlife Sanctuary have been combined to create the tiger reserve. • The new tiger reserve has Madurai territorial forest division in the north, Virudhunagar and Madurai district revenue areas on its east, Tirunelveli forest division and Periyar tiger reserve (Kerala) in south and Theni revenue district and partly Periyar reserve on its west as boundaries. • With the new Srivilliputhur – Megamalai Tiger Reserve, the forests will be better protected and the Vaigai river, its tributaries will start flowing again.

Giant Squirrel Sanctuary- • Also known as Srivilliputhur Wildlife Sanctuary, it was established in 1988 to protect the Near threatened grizzled giant squirrel (Ratufa macroura). • It is bordered on the southwest by the Periyar Tiger Reserve and is one of the best preserved forests south of the Palghat Gap • IUCN Status of grizzled giant squirrel: Near Threatened (NT)

Megamalai Wildlife Sanctuary- • As this wildlife sanctuary is located at the border of Tamilnadu and Kerala, it acts as the buffer zone for Periyar Tiger Reserve in Kerala. • It shares boundaries with Srivilliputhur Grizzled Squirrel Sanctuary and Periyar Tiger Reserve in Kerala

41. Blending Hydrogen into Natural Gas pipelines

In news- The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) will lead a new collaborative research and development (R&D) project known as HyBlendTM to address the technical barriers to blending hydrogen in natural gas pipelines.

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More about it- • The HyBlend team comprises six national laboratories - NREL, Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), and the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) and more than 20 participants from industry and academia. • Hydrogen produced from renewable, nuclear, or other resources can be injected into natural gas pipelines, and the blend can then be used by conventional end users of natural gas to generate power and heat. • Several projects worldwide are demonstrating blends with hydrogen concentrations as high as 20%, but the long-term impact of hydrogen on materials and equipment is not well understood.

42. Ravi Chopra High-powered committee

In news- The Supreme Court appointed Ravi Chopra Committee has alleged that the Chardham road project has violated court order.

About Ravi Chopra Committee- • A petition was filed with the National Green Tribunal stating that the project violated the Environmental Impact Assessment Notification, 2006. • On the other hand, according to MoRTH, the length of the highways are less than 100 km and hence do not require environmental clearance. • The project has been segregated into 57 parts and each part is less than 100 km. Thus, NGT cleared the project. • However, the project was stopped by the Supreme Court which also constituted Ravi Chopra Committee to assess the environmental violations if any. • Chardham Pariyojana- • The project aims to provide connectivity to the four Hindu pilgrimages such as Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri and Yamunotri. • The estimated cost of the project is Rs 12,000 crores. • The project is being implemented by National Highway and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited, Uttarakhand State Public Works, Border Road Organization under Engineering, Procurement and Construction Mode (EPC mode).

43. Hamburg Action Plan

• It sets out the G20's strategy for achieving strong, sustainable, balanced and inclusive growth. . • It also includes new measures taken to strengthen the international financial architecture, improve financial sector regulation and development, and promote collaboration on international taxation issues. • It also outlines new actions to tackle the issues of beneficial ownership, correspondent banking and remittances, anti-money laundering and combatting the financing of terrorism, fossil fuel subsidies and data gaps .

44. India Energy Outlook 2021

The India Energy Outlook 2021 is a new special report from the International Energy Agency’s World Energy Outlook series.

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Key highlights of the report: • Prior to the global pandemic, India’s energy demand was projected to increase by almost 50% between 2019 and 2030, but growth over this period is now closer to 35% in the STEPS (Stated Policies Scenario), and 25% in the Delayed Recovery Scenario • Solar power is set for explosive growth in India, matching coal’s share in the Indian power generation mix within two decades in the STEPS. • The emissions intensity of India’s economy improves by 40% from 2005 to 2030, above the 33-35% set out in its existing NDC. • India will make up the biggest share of energy demand growth at 25% over the next two decades, as it overtakes the European Union as the world's third-biggest energy consumer by 2030. • India's energy consumption is expected to nearly double as the nation's GDP expands to an estimated $8.6 trillion by 2040 under its current national policy scenario • India's growing energy needs will make it more reliant on fossil fuel imports as its domestic oil and gas production has been stagnant for years. • India's oil demand is expected to rise to 8.7 million barrels per day (bpd) in 2040 from about 5 million bpd in 2019. • The world's second-biggest net oil importer after China currently imports about 76% of its crude oil needs. That reliance on overseas oil is expected to rise to 90% by 2030 and 92% by 2040, the IEA said. • India is set to more than double its building space over the next two decades, with 70% of new construction happening in urban areas. • India, being the world's fourth-largest LNG importer, LNG imports are expected to quadruple to 124 billion cubic metres (bcm), or about 61% of overall gas demand by 2040.

45. World Sustainable Development Summit 2021

In news - The Prime Minister of India inaugurated the World Sustainable Development Summit 2021 recently.

• This year’s theme (20th edition): “Redefining our common future: Safe and secure environment for all” • It is the flagship event of The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI). • The Summit series brings together governments, business leaders, academicians, climate scientists, youth, and the civil society in the fight against climate change. • WSDS focuses on sustainable development, environmental protection, and energy and assessment of worldwide progress in these critical areas. • Organized annually since 2001, the platform facilitates the exchange of knowledge on all aspects of sustainable development. • In 2016, TERI’s annual flagship event, the Delhi Sustainable Development Summit (DSDS) evolved into the World Sustainable Development Summit (WSDS) to carry forward legacy of fifteen years.

46. Go Electric Campaign

In news: The Ministry of Power, Government of India, launched the "Go Electric" Campaign.

About "Go Electric" Campaign: • It is aimed at creating awareness at PAN-India level on the benefits of adopting Electric Vehicles and Electric Cooking appliances such as Induction cook hobs, Electric pressure cooker etc. and to boost the confidence of Electric Vehicle manufacturers.

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• Bureau of Energy Efficiency will provide technical support to the State Designated Agencies(SDAs) for its implementation on a state and national level. • This initiative is intended to reduce dependency of the country on imported fuel. • Benefits of adopting this electricity based technologies shall be completely realized by enhancing share of renewables in the Grid.

Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE):  It was established in 2002 under the Energy Conservation Act, 2001 under the Ministry of Power.  It assists in developing policies and strategies for reducing the energy intensity of the Indian economy.  Major Programmes: State Energy Efficiency Index, Perform Achieve and Trade (PAT) scheme, The Standards & Labeling Programme, Energy Conservation Building Code.

47. Atmospheric & Climate Research – Modeling Observing Systems & Services (ACROSS)

In news - The Cabinet Committee has approved continuation of the nine sub-schemes of the umbrella scheme ACROSS during 2017-2020.

About ACROSS- • The ACROSS scheme pertains to the atmospheric science programs of the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES). • This scheme is a part of the umbrella scheme “Atmosphere & Climate”. • It addresses different aspects of weather and climate services, which includes warnings for cyclones, storm surges, heat waves, thunderstorms etc. • Its nine sub-programmes are multi-disciplinary and multi institutional in nature and will be implemented in an integrated manner. • As the objective of the ACROSS scheme is to provide a reliable weather and climate forecast for betterment of society.

48. Species Recovery Programme

In news: Caracal, a medium-sized wildcat has been added to the list recovery programme for critically endangered species in India, the list includes 22 wildlife species.

Key updates- • The National Board for Wildlife and Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change recently included the caracal found in parts of Rajasthan and Gujarat, in the list of critically endangered species. • Besides India, the caracal is found in several dozen countries across Africa, the Middle East, Central and South Asia. • It has long legs, a short face, long canine teeth, and distinctive ears long and pointy, with tufts of black hair at their tips. • Its iconic ears are what give the animal its name caracal comes from the Turkish karakulak, meaning ‘black ears’. • In India, it is called siya gosh, a Persian name that translates as ‘black Ear’. • A Sanskrit fable exists about a small wild cat named deergha-karn or ‘long-eared’. • IUCN status: Least concern • Typically nocturnal, the caracal is highly secretive and difficult to observe. 28 www.journalsofindia.com January to July 2021

• The caracal could be earlier found in arid and semi-arid scrub forest and ravines but today, its presence is restricted to Rajasthan, Kutch, and parts of MP. • The earliest evidence of the caracal in the subcontinent comes from a fossil dating back to the civilisation of the Indus Valley ( 3000-2000 BC).

A brief note on Species Recovery Programme-  This programme is one of the components of Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitats’ (IDWH).  The MoEF identified 16 terrestrial and 7 aquatic species with the objective of saving critically endangered species/ecosystems to ensure their protection outside Protected Areas, across the wider landscape/seascape.  So far, 21 species have been identified under the recovery programme.

49. Sendai Framework In news: 2021 is the midpoint of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), the Paris agreement and the Sendai Framework.

About Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030: • It was endorsed by the UN General Assembly following the 2015 Third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (WCDRR). • Goal is to prevent new and reduce existing disaster risk through the implementation of integrated and inclusive economic, structural, legal, social, health, cultural, educational, environmental, technological, political and institutional measures. • The present framework will apply to the risk of small-scale and large-scale, frequent and infrequent, sudden and slow-onset disasters, caused by natural or manmade hazards as well as related environmental, technological and biological hazards and risks.

Four priority areas of the framework- 1. Understanding disaster risk 2. Strengthening disaster risk governance to manage disaster risk 3. Investing in disaster reduction for resilience and 4. Enhancing disaster preparedness for effective response, and to "Build Back Better" in recovery, rehabilitation and reconstruction.

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50. Project RE-HAB of Karnataka

In news: In order to mitigate human-elephant conflict a project-REHAB has been launched in Kodagu, Karnataka recently.

What is project RE-HAB? • In order to mitigate human-elephant conflict a project-REHAB has been launched in Kodagu, Karnataka recently . • Project RE-HAB (Reducing Elephant-Human Attacks using Bees) entails installing bee boxes (bee fences) along the periphery of the forest and the villages. • This idea stems from the elephants’ proven fear of the bees. • It is a sub-mission of KVIC’s National Honey Mission. • The spots are located on the periphery of Nagarahole National Park and Tiger Reserve, known as conflict zones. • Bee boxes have been placed on the ground as well as hung from the trees. • The bee boxes are connected with a string so that when elephants attempt to pass through, a tug causes the bees to swarm the elephant herds and dissuade them from progressing further. • High resolution, night vision cameras have been installed at strategic points to record the impact of bees on elephants and their behaviour in these zones.

51. Food Waste Index Report 2021

In news: The Food Waste Index Report 2021 has been released recently.

About the report: • “Food waste” is defined as food and the associated inedible parts removed from the human food supply chain in the following sectors- Retail, Food service, Households. • It is prepared by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and partner organisation WRAP.

• The Index has a three-level methodology increasing in accuracy and usefulness of data. • Level 1 uses modelling to estimate food waste, for member states that have not yet undertaken their own measurement • Level 2 is the recommended approach. • Level 3 provides additional information to inform policy and other interventions designed to reduce food waste generation.

• As per the report, an estimated 931 million tonnes of food were wasted globally in 2019, enough to circle the Earth seven times. • Household food waste in India is about 68.7 million tonnes a year and 50 kg per capita per year. • Of the total food wasted, 61 percent came from households, 26 percent from food service and 13 percent from retail. • The action on food waste is equally relevant in high, upper-middle and lower-middle income countries. • The household food waste estimate in the US is 59 kg per capita per year, while for China these estimates are 64 kg per capita per year • The report finds that 690 million people are affected by hunger in 2019, and three billion people unable to afford a healthy diet.

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52. World air quality report, 2020

In news: According to the report, India emerged as the world’s third most polluted country after Bangladesh and Pakistan.

About the World Air Quality Report: • The report was prepared by Swiss organisation IQAir. • The report analyzes PM2.5 data reported by ground-level monitoring stations around the world, as aggregated through IQAir’s air quality information platform. • By comparing PM2.5 levels across the globe, IQAir strives to highlight a wide variety of air quality challenges as well as underscore the threat of human-caused air pollution

Key highlights of the report: • New Delhi was the world’s most polluted capital for the third straight year in 2020 • India was home to 35 of the world’s 50 most polluted cities. • The report highlights that in 2020, New Delhi’s average annual concentration of PM2.5 is more than double the level of Beijing. • However, it shows that Delhi's air quality improved by approximately 15% from 2019 to 2020. • As the burning of crop stubble peaked, Delhi’s PM 2.5 levels averaged 144 micrograms per cubic metre in November and 157 micrograms per cubic metre in December, exceeding the World Health Organisation’s annual exposure guideline by more than 14 times. • It highlighted that South Asia endured some of the world’s worst air quality on record in 2020.

53. Whale shark

In news: Recently a study published in Nature states that the global population of sharks and rays have crashed by over 70% in the past five decades.

About Whale Shark: • It is a slow-moving, filter-feeding carpet shark and the largest known extant fish species. • Scientific name is Rhincodon typus. • Whale sharks have a unique pattern of white spotted colouration which makes these gentle giants easy to distinguish and very popular with snorkelers. • Light vertical and horizontal stripes form a checkerboard pattern on a dark background, and light spots mark the fins and dark areas of the body. • The head is broad and flat, with a somewhat truncated snout and an immense mouth. • Several prominent ridges of hard tissue, often called keels, extend horizontally along each side of the body to the tail. • Whale sharks are the largest shark, and indeed largest of any fishes alive today. • They feed on plankton and travel large distances to find enough food to sustain their huge size, and to reproduce. • The whale shark is a ‘filter feeder shark’ which means it does not eat meat like other sharks. • They are found in all the tropical oceans (warm waters) of the world. • Adults are often found feeding at the surface, but may dive to 1000m • IUCN: Endangered since 2016 and CITES listing: Appendix II

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54. Pench Tiger Reserve

In news: Recently, the three year old tigress PTRF-84 cub of Pandharkawada tigress Avni died during treatment in an enclosure at Pench Tiger Reserve (PTR).

Pench Tiger Reserve: • PTR in Seoni (Madhya Pradesh) is one of the major Protected Areas of Satpura-Maikal ranges of the Central Highland. • It is the first one to straddle across two states - Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. • Pench was declared as a sanctuary in 1965 but in 1975, it rose to the status of a National Park and was established as a tiger reserve in 1992. • It comprises the Indira Priyadarshini Pench National Park, the Pench Mowgli Sanctuary and a buffer. • The national park is named after the river Pench (tributary of Kanhan river), which while flowing from north to south, divides the national park in almost equal halves. • It is same forest area portrayed in the famous "The Jungle Book" by Rudyard Kipling • It is home to Bengal Tigers, Chital, Jungle Cat, Wolf, Indian Leopard, Gaur, Four-horned Antelope, Sloth Bear. • A description of its natural wealth and richness occurs in Ain-i-akbari.

55. Sea buckthorn cultivation in Himachal Pradesh

In news: Recently, the state government of Himachal Pradesh has decided to start planting sea buckthorn in the cold desert areas of the state in the current year.

Key updates • It will be planted on 250 hectares in the state over the next five years. • The Seabuckthorn Association of India wants the forest departments of various Himalayan states/UTs to plant sea buckthorn on arid and marginal lands using CAMPA funds. • Seabuckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides) is a shrub which produces an orange-yellow coloured edible berry. • In Himachal Pradesh, it is locally called chharma and grows in the wild in Lahaul and Spiti and parts of Kinnaur. • They also have the unique characteristic of remaining intact on the shrub throughout the winter months despite the subzero temperature. • They can grow between 2 and 4 m high (between 7 and 13 ft). • It has a rough, brown or black bark and a thick, grayish-green crown. • It is dioecious, meaning that the male and female flowers grow on different shrubs. • In India, it is found above the tree line in the Himalayan region, generally in dry areas such as the cold deserts of Ladakh and Spiti, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh. • It has been widely used for treating stomach, heart and skin problems, and a source of fuelwood and fodder. • Its fruits and leaves are rich in vitamins, carotenoids and omega fatty acids, among other substances, and it can help troops in acclimating to high-altitude.

56. Black-Browed Babbler

In news: Recently, the Black-Browed Babbler has been rediscovered after 170 years.

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Key updates- • It was first identified by German naturalist Carl Schwaner at some point between 1843 and 1848. • In October 2020, two men in Indonesian Borneo saw this bird but they didn't recognise and snapped photos of it. • Later the Ornithologists confirmed that it was Black-Browed Babbler. • The species holotype is now at the Naturalis Biodiversity Center in Leiden, Netherlands. • It has a small brown babbler with paler underparts and brown crown with a broad black band through the eye. • Black-Browed Babble is often called 'the biggest enigma’ in Indonesian ornithology. • The conservation status of the species is listed in the “Data Deficient” category in the IUCN red list but the species is described as possibly extinct and known only from a single specimen.

57. Swachhta Saarthi Fellowship

In news: Swachhta Saarthi Fellowship has been launched by the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India under its “Waste to Wealth” Mission.

About the Swachhta Saarthi Fellowship- • The fellowship is an initiative to empower young innovators who are engaged in community work of waste management/awareness campaigns/ waste surveys etc.. as Swachhta Saarthis. • It aims to empower interested students and citizens to continuously engage in their attempts to reduce waste in cities and rural areas. • The three categories of awards under the fellowships are- Category-A: Open to School students from 9th to 12th standards engaged in waste management community work, Category-B: Open to College students (UG, PG, Research students) and Category-C: Open to Citizens working in the community and through SHGs, municipal or sanitary workers. • The Waste to Wealth Mission is one of the nine national missions of the Prime Minister’s Science, Technology, and Innovation Advisory Council (PM-STIAC). • This mission will identify, develop, and deploy technologies to treat waste to generate energy, recycle materials, and extract worth. • Its objective is to boost and augment the Swachh Bharat Mission and Smart Cities Project by leveraging science, technology and innovation.

58. Climate Data Service Portal

• Secretary, Ministry of Earth Science inaugurated Climate Data Services Portal of IMD on World Meteorological Day. • The portal has been developed by the scientists of the National Data Centre (NDC) at the Climate Research and Services (CRS) office of IMD, Pune. • It complements fully automated climate data management process from real-time data acquisition to expeditious data dissemination. • This central hub functions as a repository to acquire and disseminate the climate data of the Indian subcontinent region. • This is enabled by automatic ingestion and first level quality control management in addition to monitoring, messaging / mailing response and acceptance.

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59. Contamination of Groundwater due to Arsenic and Fluoride

• According to Central GroundWater Board (CGWB) ground water quality data there are 4421 arsenic- affected habitations in India as of September 2020. • Most of the arsenic-affected habitations lie in the Ganga and Brahmaputra alluvial plains. • Assam had the highest share of such habitations (1,853), followed by West Bengal (1,383). • Jharkhand, which did not have any such habitation in 2015, has two now (2020). • Karnataka which had nine habitations in 2015, had none in 2020. • The number of fluoride affected habitations has significantly come down from 12,727 in 2015 to 5,485 as of September 2020. • Rajasthan had the highest number of such habitations (2,956), followed by Bihar (861). • Long-term exposure to arsenic from drinking-water and food can cause cancer, skin disease, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, impacts cognitive development of children and increased deaths in young adults. • Excessive fluoride intake leads to dental fluorosis (tooth decay) or crippling skeletal fluorosis, which is associated with bone deformities.

60. Ken Betwa river link project

• Recently, a memorandum of agreement has been signed between the Union Minister of Jal Shakti and the chief ministers of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh to implement the Ken-Betwa Link Project. • It is the first project under the National Perspective Plan for interlinking of rivers. • Under this project, water from the Ken river will be transferred to the Betwa river through a canal. • Both these rivers are tributaries of river Yamuna. • It would benefit the Bundelkhand region, a drought-prone region which spreads across 13 districts of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. • The project is expected to provide annual irrigation of 10.62 lakh hectares, drinking water supply to about 62 lakh people and also generate 103 MW of hydropower. • Out of the 6,017 ha of forest area coming under submergence of Daudhan dam of Ken Betwa Link Project, 4,206 ha of area lies within the core tiger habitat of Panna Tiger Reserve.

61. World Water Day 2021

• 22nd of March 2021 was celebrated as World Water Day all over the world. • This year's theme is ‘valuing water’. • World Water Day focuses on highlighting the importance of water and raising awareness about the water crisis that the world faces. • A core focus of World Water Day is to support the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 6 - ‘water and sanitation for all by 2030’. • In 1992 the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution by which 22 March of each year was declared World Day for Water, to be observed starting in 1993.

62. Asiatic Cheetah relocation

• By the end of the year 2021, India will receive its first shipment of the cheetahs from Africa. • As part of the programme, two experts, one from Namibia and the other from South Africa the two countries with the highest cheetah populations in the world, will arrive to train Indian forest officers and wildlife experts.

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• This is the first time in the world that a large carnivore will be relocated from one continent to another. • It was declared extinct by the Indian government in 1952. • Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change set up an expert committee under the chairmanship of Wildlife Trust of India board member Dr M K Ranjitsinh to complete an assessment of the sites for relocation. • As part of the programme, six sites, which had previously been assessed in 2010, have now been re- assessed by Wildlife Institute of India. • They include Mukundara Hills Tiger Reserve and Shergarh Wildlife Sanctuary in Rajasthan and Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary, Kuno National Park, Madhav National Park and Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh. • Of these six sites, the expert committee has identified Kuno National Park of Madhya Pradesh as being ready for the relocation. • The site has been monitored since 2006 as it had also been identified for relocating the Asiatic Lion. • It is not the first time that India has attempted a relocation of the cheetah as in early 1970s, Dr M K Ranjitsinh carried out negotiations with Iran on behalf of the Indira Gandhi administration.

63. Indian Rhino Vision 2020 (IRV2020)

In news: IRV2020 program has been completed recently.

What is it? • IRV is a collaborative effort between various organisations, including the International Rhino Foundation, Assam’s Forest Department, Bodoland Territorial Council, WWF-India, and the US Fish and Wildlife Service. • IRV2020 was established in 2005. • Moving Rhinos to ecologically (Wild-to-wild translocations) similar but distant areas to ensure species survival is an essential part of the programme. • The goal of IRV2020 was to increase the rhino population in Assam to 3,000 by establishing populations in new areas by 2020. • It intends to spread them over seven of the state’s protected areas: Kaziranga, Pobitora, Orang national park, Manas national park, Laokhowa wildlife sanctuary, Burachapori wildlife sanctuary and Dibru Saikhowa wildlife sanctuary.

About the greater one-horned rhino (or “Indian rhino”)-  Scientific name:Rhinoceros unicornis  It is the largest of the rhino species.  It is identified by a single black horn about 8-25 inches long and a grey-brown hide with skin folds, which gives it an armor-plated appearance.  Habitat: Tropical and Subtropical Grasslands, Savannas, and Shrublands  IUCN Red List: Vulnerable  Current Population: Around 3700  Globally, rhinoceros unicornis has been listed in CITES Appendix I  WPA 1972: Schedule – I

64. Voluntary Vehicle scrapping policy

In news: Voluntary Vehicle scrapping policy has been announced recently.

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Key features of the policy- • The policy aims to take old, polluting vehicles off the roads and send them to the scrapyard. • It provides for fitness tests after 20 years for personal vehicles while commercial vehicles would require it after the completion of 15 years. • There are four major components of the policy. • Apart from rebates, there are provisions of green taxes and other levies on old polluting vehicles. • The revenue collected through the green tax which is a rate of 10-25 percent of road tax will be utilised for tackling pollution. • As per the policy these vehicles will be required to undergo mandatory fitness and pollution tests in automated facilities. • Automated facilities will be set up under public private partnership (PPP) mode while the government will assist private partners and state governments for scrapping centres. • The policy also provides for penalties on those who are driving such vehicles and fail to pass automated tests. • Initially about one crore polluting vehicles would go for scrapping.

65. World Wildlife Day

• The day is observed every year on March 3, to celebrate the world's flora and fauna, and to raise awareness about animals going extinct. • This year, Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar tweeted that the government is "working on reintroduction of Cheetah, which went extinct in 1952”. • In 2013, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) proclaimed 3 March – the day of signature of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) in 1973 (March 3rd) as UN World Wildlife Day. • This year's theme is 'Forests and Livelihoods: Sustaining People and Planet’.

66. Panel to recommend norms to cut trees

In news: Supreme Court said that a seven-member expert committee to recommend policy guidelines for cutting of trees for developmental projects is set up.

About seven-member Panel- • The order came in a matter pertaining to felling of trees of ages upto 150 years for Road Over Bridges and road widening projects in West Bengal. • The Panel will be headed by M K Ranjitsinh Jwala, wildlife expert and former Chairman of the Wildlife Trust of India. • SC asked the panel to submit its recommendations within four weeks from the date of its first meeting. • Panel while recommending policy guidelines can prescribe a mechanism for assessment of both intrinsic and instrumental value of the trees, based not only on the value of timber, but also the ecosystem services rendered by the trees. • The guidelines shall also mandate rules regarding alternate routes/sites for roads/projects, and possibilities for using alternate modes of transport like railways or water-ways. • Prescribe the mode of compensation financial and otherwise, and the process that governs the computation and recovery.

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67. India: Transforming to a net-zero emissions energy system report

In news: Recently, TERI and Shell released the India: Transforming to a net-zero emissions energy system report.

Key highlights of the report- • The report says that Net-zero emissions in India’s energy systems by 2050 is possible yet challenging. • However, India needs a suitable policy and innovation driven context to deploy clean energy technologies on a massive scale. • India requires more and faster deployment of large-scale solar, wind and hydro power to enable greater electrification across the country. • It also requires the development of new fuels, such as liquid biofuels and biogas, as well as hydrogen produced from electrolysis. • The carbon removals (from technology and nature-based solutions) will have a critical role in moving towards zero emissions. • It has recommended to improve energy intensity per unit of GDP by almost 60% by 2050, a rate of improvement nearly twice the historical levels. • It has recommended to adopt economic mechanisms, such as carbon trading and/or pricing to facilitate reallocation of capital and resources to support commercialization of new fuels and technologies.

68. IUCN Status of African Elephant

In news: The African forest elephant is now listed as Critically Endangered and the African savanna elephant as Endangered on the IUCN Red List.

New Assessments by the IUCN- • In 2000, scientists recategorized the African elephant species into two distinct species, the larger being the African savanna elephant and the smaller being the African forest elephant. • The persistent pressures are faced by the two species of elephants in Africa due to poaching for ivory and human encroachment. • Previously IUCN had treated both elephants together which it considered as “vulnerable”. • The IUCN data showed that the populations of Africa’s savanna elephants decreased by at least 60% over the last 50 years. • Number of forest elephants found mostly in Central Africa had fallen by 86% over 31 years. • Combined, around 415,000 of two species of elephants in Africa remain. • Despite the overall decline, some populations of forest elephants were rebounding due to successful conservation measures such as those taken by Gabon and Republic of Congo. • IUCN’s latest assessment has assessed 134,425 species of plants, fungi and animals of which more than a quarter are threatened with extinction.

Difference between Asian and African Elephants-  African elephants have much larger ears that look sort of like the continent of Africa, while Asian elephants have smaller, round ears.  African elephants have rounded heads, while Asian elephants have a twin-domed head, which means there’s a divot line running up the head.  Both male and female African elephants can have tusks, but only male Asian elephants can grow them.

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69. Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve

In news: Recently, the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court ordered notice to the Centre and the State in a petition that sought direction to the authorities concerned to collect and dispose of ‘ghost nets’ from the Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve.

About Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve- • The Gulf of Mannar Marine National Park is a protected area of India consisting of 21 small islands (islets) and adjacent coral reefs in the Gulf of Mannar in the Indian Ocean. • It lies 1 to 10 km away from the east coast of Tamil Nadu, India for 160 km between Thoothukudi (Tuticorin) and Dhanushkodi. • Mangroves dominate the intertidal zones of the park islands which consist of species of the genera Rhizophora, Avicennia, Bruguiera, Ceriops and Lumnitzera. • The flowering herb Pemphis acidula (family Lythraceae) is the only endemic plant species. • The dugong, a vulnerable marine mammal, is the flagship mammal of the park. • It is an important habitat for the cetaceans- Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin, finless porpoise, spinner dolphin, common dolphin, Risso's dolphin, melon-headed whale, and dwarf sperm whale.

70. Gir sanctuary

In news: According to the Tourism Minister, there has been an increase in the number of hotels and resorts in and around Gir sanctuary.

About Gir National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary- • Near to Talala Gir, it is located 43 km north-east of Somnath, 65 km south-east of Junagadh and 60 km south-west of Amreli. • It has dry deciduous forests. • The seven major perennial rivers of the Gir region are Hiran, Shetrunji, Datardi, Shingoda, Machhundri, Godavari and Raval. • The Government notified the large geographical extent of Sasan Gir as a wildlife sanctuary on 18th September, 1965 in order to conserve the Asiatic Lion. • From a population of approximately 20 lions in 1913, they have risen to a comfortable 523 lions according to the 2015 census. • Apart from Lions, it is also home to Sambar, Chowsinga, Jackal, Fox, 200 species of birds, 40 species of reptiles and amphibians. • Teak bearing areas are mainly in the eastern portion of the forest, which constitutes nearly half of the total area. • Also found here are ber, jamun, babul (acacia), flame of the forest, zizyphus, tendu and dhak. • The Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) approved the Asiatic Lion Conservation Project for 2018-21. • The Asiatic Lion, endemic to the Gir landscape of Gujarat, is one of the 21 critically endangered species identified by the Ministry for taking up recovery programmes.

71. Keibul Lamjao National Park

• Situated in the state of Manipur, spread across 40 sq.km. • The Park is the only floating national park in the world. 38 www.journalsofindia.com January to July 2021

• Phumdi is a mat of organic matter in which reeds and grasses grow, often up to 15ft or more. • In the 1950s, though it was believed that the Brow-antlered deer had become extinct in the country, it was subsequently re-discovered in Manipur. • By 1975 only a dozen or so animals remained on phumdis in Manipur’s Loktak Lake located within the boundaries of the Park. • It is subdivided into phumdi arupa (sinking) and phumdi ataoba (floating).

Brow-antlered Deer (Rucervus Eldii Eldii)-  The brow-antlered deer, or Sangai is the state animal of Manipur.  Marked by a small tail, the animal’s coat is a dark reddish brown during winter months and it becomes a much lighter shade in summer.  Native to Cambodia, China, India, Laos and Myanmar, these animals were earlier spread widely across habitats in south and south-east Asia.  The deer’s habitat has varied from shrubland and grassland to dry forests and marshland, depending on the country they’re found in.  The brow-antlered deer usually consumes grass.  It was during the British Raj that indiscriminate hunting first led to the extermination of the sangai from most areas.  In 1951, it was reported extinct, but British tea planter and naturalist Edward Pritchard Gee rediscovered it in 1953.  While the habitats have been encroached for grazing, cultivation, and fish farming, the animals are highly threatened by a hydro-electric project in the lake.

72. Lion-tailed Macaque • Endemic to rainforests of the Western Ghats, the Lion-tailed Macaque (Macaca Silenus) is an Endangered species, according to the IUCN assessment. • It is a primate endemic to small and severely fragmented rainforests of the Western Ghats in Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. • Lion-tailed macaques are listed on Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). • It is a Schedule 1 species under WPA, 1972 and thereby, accorded the highest protection under the Indian law. • Lion-tailed macaques play an important role in the ecosystem they live, as they disperse seeds of fruits and plants they consume. • The Lion-tailed Macaque is considered to be omnivorous, eating mainly fruit, insects, eggs as well as small animals on occasion.

Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES)- • It is also known as the Washington Convention. • It is legally binding on the Parties, but it does not take the place of national laws. • Aim is to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten the survival of the species in the wild. • It classifies plants and animals according to three categories- • Appendix I: It lists species that are in danger of extinction and prohibits their commercial trade except in extraordinary situations for scientific or educational reasons.

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• Appendix II: They are those that are not threatened with extinction but that might suffer a serious decline in number if trade is not restricted. Their trade is regulated by permit. • Appendix III: They are protected in at least one country that is a CITES member state and that has petitioned others for help in controlling international trade in that species. • In addition CITES also restricts trade in items made from such plants and animals, such as food, clothing, medicine, and souvenirs.

73. Kharai Camels

In news: Rapid industrialisation in Gujarat threatens the mangroves that kharai camels and their nomadic herders depend on.

About Kharai Camels- • Their name is derived from the local word khara, meaning saline. • Kutch, a coastal region of Gujarat, which is also a large desert land, has two camel breeds - one is the popular Kutchi breed and the other, the Kharai breed, native to the region. • The Kharai breed has the special ability to survive on both dry land and in the sea, making it an ecotonal breed. • The Kharai camel is probably the only domesticated breed of camel that lives in dual ecosystems. • National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources (NBAGR) has certified the breed as the ninth camel breed found in India. • Kharai camels are known to feed on mangroves on the island off shores and to eat this salty marine food, they sometimes swim for hours. • Their gently padded hooves help them navigate the wet and salty coastal land with ease and they can swim up to three kilometres. • They are also known as dariyataru (meaning sea-swimmer). • As per latest counting, the state has 6,200 camels. • Industries in Kutch - salt, thermal power, cement and shipyards pose a huge threat to the dwindling mangroves. • IUCN status: Endangered

74. QCI survey on water bodies

In news: As per the QCI survey, around 28 percent of the government-owned waterbodies in the Ganga basin are dried up.

About the survey- • It was conducted by the Quality Council of India (QCI), an autonomous body established by the Government of India in partnership with ASSOCHAM, CII and FICCI. • Purpose of the survey was to do a 100 percent mapping of all government-owned water bodies in Ganga districts for improvement and rejuvenation. • The survey covered ponds, tanks, and lakes in the Ganga river basin in Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Uttarakhand, Bihar and West Bengal. • The team studied 578 water bodies and found that 411 were surrounded by human settlements. • The findings show that 16 percent of the water bodies in the Ganga basin were eutrophic, and only 56 per cent were functional.

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Following are the statewise findings of the survey- • In Jharkhand about 96 per cent of the water bodies don’t have any type of function while 85 per cent are surrounded by solid waste. • In UP, 53 per cent of functional water bodies were found to be not turbid and 48 per cent of water bodies had solid waste around them. • Ghazipur district has the maximum number of functional water while Bhadohi District has a maximum number of eutrophic water bodies. • In Bihar out of the 39 water bodies assessed, 31 per cent have dried up, 31 per cent were eutrophic, while 38 per cent were functional in the state. • In Uttarakhand the team assessed 10 water bodies out of which 5 had dried up, 3 were functional while 2 were eutrophic in the state. • In West Bengal about 90 per cent of the assessed water bodies don’t have any fencing and 63 per cent have solid waste around them.

1.1 CSR amendment rules 2021

In news: The Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) has amended the Companies (Corporate Social Responsibility Policy) Rules, 2014, thus giving effect to the changes introduced in CSR by the Companies Amendment Acts of 2019 and 2020.

Key Changes- • This would be applicable for three financial years - 2020-21, 2021-22 and 2022-23, subject to certain conditions. • The amended rules require that any corporation with a CSR obligation of Rs 10 crore or more for the three preceding financial years would be required to hire an independent agency to conduct an impact assessment of their entire project with outlays of Rs 1 crore or more. • Companies will be allowed to count 5 percent of the CSR expenditure for the year up to Rs 50 lakh on impact assessment towards CSR expenditure. • Contributions to incubators or R&D projects in the field of science, technology, engineering and medicine, funded by the central or state governments or any agency of the government would be considered as CSR. • Contributions to public funded universities, Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), national laboratories and autonomous bodies established under the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Department of Science and Technology (DST) and Department of Pharmaceuticals would also come under the CSR ambit. • Further, the relaxation would be applicable for national laboratories and autonomous bodies under the Ministry of AYUSH and Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. • According to him, the amended policy is now a boon to companies which in their ordinary course of business are engaged in activities included in CSR rules, such as promoting education, protection of national heritage and promoting sports. • This would imply that expenditure towards these activities can be claimed under CSR provisions even though incurred in the ordinary course of business by companies.

75. Mahendragiri biosphere reserve

In news: Recently, the state government of Odisha has proposed a second biosphere reserve (BR) in the southern part of the state at Mahendragiri.

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About Mahendragiri biosphere reserve- • Similipal Biosphere Reserve is Odisha’s first such reserve and was notified May 20, 1996. • Mahendragiri BR is around 470,955 hectares and is spread over Gajapati and Ganjam districts in the Eastern Ghats. • This ecosystem acts as a transitional zone between the flora and fauna of southern India and the Himalayas, making the region an ecological estuary of genetic diversities. • Once the protected archeological remains of Mahendragiri were listed in the tentative list of Unesco World Heritage Sites • It is inhabited by the Soura people, a particularly vulnerable tribal group as well as the Kandha tribe. • The rich flora in Mahendragiri represents 40 percent of the reported flora of Odisha, with around 1,358 species of plants. • The faunal diversity of the hills consists of 388 species of animals, including 27 species of mammals, 165 species of birds, 23 species of snakes, 15 species of amphibians, three species of turtles and 19 lizards. Soura people-  They are a Munda ethnic group from eastern India.  They live in Gajapati, Rayagada and Bargarh districts of Odisha and north coastal Andhra Pradesh.  They are known by various names such as Savara, Sabara, Sora, and Soura.  The Souras speak Sora, a Munda language.  They practice shifting cultivation, with a few gradually taking up settled agriculture.

76. Manas National Park

In news: Melanistic Rhesus Macaque(Macaca Mulatta) was sighted for the first time in the Manas National Park.

Key updates • The adult female melanistic Rhesus macaque was observed by the team of Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) jointly with the Forest Department in March 2021. • This phenomenon is rare in the wild population and photographic evidence has been recorded for the first time.

About the Manas National Park- • Manas National Park of Assam gets its name from the River Manas, which flows through the reserve and is also the major tributary of Brahmaputra River. • Before 1928, Manas National Park was a reserve forest called Manas R.F. and North Kamrup R.F. • Manas was originally a game reserve since 1928 and became a Tiger Reserve in 1974, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985, and a Biosphere Reserve in 1989 and then was declared as a National Park in 1990. • The park is contiguous with the Buxa Tiger Reserve in West Bengal, and in 2003 it was declared part of the Chirang-Ripu Elephant Reserve which serves as the international corridor for elephant migration between India and Bhutan • Considered one of the world's rarest simian species, the golden langur was first spotted in Manas in the mid-20th Century. • The combination of Sub-Himalayan Bhabar Terai, Assam Valley Semi-Evergreen Alluvial Grasslands and the Himalayan subtropical broadleaf forests makes Manas National Park one of the richest biodiversity in India. • The park is known for the rare species of animals like the Assam roofed turtle, hispid hare, and pygmy hog. • It is also home to the largest population of the endangered Bengal florican in the world. • Manas is very rich in the population of Royal Bengal Tigers. 42 www.journalsofindia.com January to July 2021

77. Global Wind report, 2021

In news: According to a new report by the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC), the world’s capacity to generate electricity from wind jumped 53 per cent in 2020.

Key findings of the report- • The global wind industry installed a record 93 GW of new capacity in 2020 – a 53% year-on-year increase, showing strong resilience in the face of COVID-19. • However, the report warns that the world needs to install new wind power capacity three times faster over the next decade to achieve global climate targets. • As per the report, all of the 32.2 GW year-on-year increase came from onshore wind markets. • Total global wind power capacity is now up to 743 GW, helping the world to avoid over 1.1 billion tonnes of CO2 annually equivalent to the annual carbon emissions of South America. • The growth was driven by a surge of installations in China and the US – the world’s two largest wind power markets, who together installed 75 percent of the new installations in 2020.

Top 5 Onshore Wind Markets for New Capacity in 2020 are- 1. China – 48,940 MW 2. US – 16,913 MW 3. Brazil – 2,297 MW 4. Norway – 1,532 MW 5. Germany – 1,431 MW India has been ranked 9th with 1,119 MW capacity.

78. Bandhavgarh National Park

In news- Recently, a massive fire at Bandhavgarh National Park in Madhya Pradesh was finally contained three days after it broke out.

About Bandhavgarh National Park- • It was declared a national park in 1968 and then became Tiger Reserve in 1993. • Bandhavgarh is an expanse of over 100 square km in the Vindhya Hills. • Known for its Royal Bengal Tigers, also the site where the famous White Tigers of Rewa were discovered. • The park also beholds the largest breeding population of leopards and various species of deer. • The park has been divided into three major zones named as Tala, Magdi and Bamera. • It consists of mixed vegetations ranging from tall grasslands to thick Sal forest. • Fauna also include Nilgai, Chausingha, Chital, Chinkara, Wild Boar and Fox or Jackal. • In the 2019 census Madhya Pradesh state recorded the most number of estimated tigers at 526, thus earning the title “Tiger State”.

79. New plant species named after Sharad Pawar

In news- The new flowering species, belonging to the genus Argyreia, has been named 'Argyreia sharadchandraji'.

Key updates- • The new species has been found in Alamprabhu Dev-raai (sacred grove) in south Maharashtra's Kolhapur district which is close to the Western Ghats ecological zone. 43 www.journalsofindia.com January to July 2021

• The plant has been named after Pawar to acknowledge his work as the Union agriculture minister. • This flowering plant blooms between July and September and its fruiting period goes on till December. • Around 40 sub-species of the Argyreia genus are present in India, of which 17 are endemic to India. • These species are found in only Asiatic countries. • Now researchers have discovered an 18th one in the Alamprabhu Sacred Grove in Ramling hills. • It grows in open habitats and trails on grassland but remains rooted near other shrubs.

80. National Policy for Rare Diseases, 2021

In news- Recently, the Union health and family welfare minister has approved the National Policy for Rare Diseases 2021.

Key points about National Policy for Rare Diseases, 2021- • Policy aim is to bring down the high cost of treatment for rare diseases. • It is proposed to have a national registry for database of rare diseases. • It also aims to increase focus on indigenous research and local production of medicines. • Those who are suffering from rare diseases that require one-time treatment will have the financial support of up to Rs 20 lakh under the umbrella scheme of Rashtriya Arogya Nidhi. • Beneficiaries for such financial assistance would not be limited to BPL families, but the benefit will be extended to about 40% of the population, who are eligible under Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana. • The policy will make use of a crowdfunding mechanism to cover the cost of treatment of rare diseases. • Through the help of Health and Wellness Centres and counselling, the policy aims to screen and detect rare diseases early at early stages, which will in turn help in their prevention.

The Policy classifies rare diseases into three groups: • Group 1: Disorders controllable by one-time curative treatment, including osteopetrosis and Fanconi anaemia. • Group 2: Diseases requiring long-term or lifelong treatment with a relatively lower cost of treatment, including galactosemia, severe food protein allergy, and homocystinuria. • Group 3: Diseases for which definitive treatment is available, but very high cost and lifelong therapy, covering diseases such as spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), Pompe disease, and Hunter syndrome. Rare Disease- • Also referred to as an orphan disease, it affects a small percentage of the population. • Most rare diseases are genetic, and are present throughout a person’s entire life, even if symptoms do not immediately appear. • Rare diseases recorded in India are Haemophilia, Thalassemia, sickle-cell anaemia and primary immunodeficiency in children, auto-immune diseases, Lysosomal storage disorders such as Pompe disease, Hirsch sprung disease, Gaucher’s disease, Cystic Fibrosis, Hemangiomas and certain forms of muscular dystrophies.

81. Draft Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules, 2021

In news- The draft Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2021 were issued by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC).

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About Draft Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules, 2021- • Amendment has extended the applicability of the rules to brand-owner, plastic waste processor, including the recycler, co-processor, etc. • It includes new definitions of Non-woven plastic bag, plastic waste processing, Single-use plastic (SUP) item, Thermoset plastic and Thermoplastic. • The Ministry has proposed increasing the thickness of carry bags made of virgin plastic to 120 microns from 50 microns. • Draft also proposes a ban on the manufacture, import, stocking, distribution, sale and use of specific single- use plastic from January 1, 2022. • These include plastic sticks for balloons, plastic flags, candy sticks, ice-cream sticks, and thermocol (expanded polystyrene) for decoration. • The draft is proposed to be implemented in three stages starting this year and culminating in mid-2022. • Local bodies and state pollution control boards will ensure the implementation and enforcement of these rules. Plastic waste in India- • 3.3 million Metric tonnes of plastic waste were generated in India in 2018-19, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) report 2018-19. • Plastic waste is approximately 5-6 percent of the total solid waste generated in the country. • Goa has the highest per capita plastic waste generation at 60 grams per capita per day. • Most parts of the country lack systematic efforts required to mitigate the risks associated with plastic waste.

82. Amendment to Forest Conservation Act (FCA)

In news- Recently, several amendments to the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 have been proposed by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.

Key amendments- • The proposed amendments seek to make additions and changes to Section 1 and 2 of the Act. • The proposed amendments enable infrastructure projects to come up in the forest areas more easily. • The draft amendments grant exemptions to railways, roads, tree plantations, oil exploration, wildlife tourism and ‘strategic’ projects in forests. • The proposal also aims to empower state governments to lease forest land to private individuals and corporations. • In the proposed new section 1A, a provision has been added to exempt application of FCA on forest land that is used for underground exploration and production of oil and natural gas through Extended Reach Drilling (ERD) originating outside forest land. • A new explanation added to Section 2 says that “survey, reconnaissance, prospecting, exploration or investigation” for a future activity in the forest will not be classified as a “non-forestry activity”. • Land acquired by the railways for establishing a rail line or a road by a government agency before 25.10.1980 (the day the FCA was passed) would be exempted from seeking a forest clearance, if they put the land to the same use for which it was acquired. • The amendment deletes Section 2(iii) of the FCA which requires the central government’s approval before assigning forest lands on lease to any private person / corporation / organisation and empowers states to issue leases for the use of forest land without the Centre’s prior approval. • A new explanation to Section 2 proposes to exempt plantation of native species of palm and oil-bearing trees from the definition of “non-forest purpose”. 45 www.journalsofindia.com January to July 2021

• The proposed amendment claims to add to the “non-forestry” list, the “forest and wildlife training infrastructure” and the “establishment of zoos and safaris” managed by the government or any authority under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. • The proposed Section 2A may empower the central government to provide for state government approval for projects on forest land for “strategic” or security projects of “national importance. • The proposed amendment inserts a new Section 2B, which will allow the central government to delineate forest areas where conversion to specific non-forest uses would not be permitted for a fixed period of time.

83. Satkosia Tiger Reserve

In news- The lone tigress at the Satkosia Tiger Reserve (STR) Sundari, may not get a companion following the closure of the tiger relocation project by the Satkosia National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) recently.

About the Reserve- • It is located in Odisha’s Angul district. • It comprises two adjoining sanctuaries of central Odisha named as Satkosia Gorge Sanctuary and Baisipalli Sanctuary. • These two sanctuaries together covering an area of 963.87 sq km were notified as Tiger Reserve in December 2007. • It is located where the Mahanadi River passes through a 22 km long gorge in the Eastern Ghats Mountains. • Reserve lying in a transitional zone extending between the Chhota Nagpur Plateau and the Deccan Plateau, the tiger reserve exhibits endemic life forms of both biotic provinces. • The area supports moist deciduous forest, dry deciduous forest and moist peninsular Sal forest. • This area is the home for Tiger, Leopard, Elephant, Gaur, Chousingha, Sloth bear, Wild dog, varieties of resident and migratory birds, reptilian species, etc.

84. Himalayan Brown Bear

In news- Recently, a study Zoological Survey of India on the Himalayan brown bear has predicted a significant reduction in suitable habitat and biological corridors of it due to climate change.

About Himalayan Brown Bear- • Its range includes North-western and central Himalaya, including India, Pakistan, Nepal, the Tibetan Autonomous Region of China and Bhutan. • Its habitat includes high altitude open valleys and pastures. • During the summer months the bears move up as high as the snow-line at around 5,500 metres and then descend into the valleys in the autumn. • They seem to be arguably the least arboreal of all the bear subspecies. • It is omnivorous. • They are diurnal and, except during mating and for mothers with cubs, are solitary. • Mating takes place during May and June with cubs being born in the winter den in December and January. • The bears go into hibernation in a cave or dug-out den around October, emerging in April or May. • IUCN Red List: Critically endangered

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85. Beast of Five Teeth

In news- Recently, a fossil of a skunk-like mammal that lived during the age of dinosaurs has been discovered in Chilean Patagonia.

About Beast of Five Teeth- • The animal is named Orretherium tzen, meaning 'Beast of Five Teeth' in an amalgam of Greek and a local indigenous language in Chile. • A part of the creature’s fossilised jawbone with five teeth attached was discovered close to the famous Torres del Paine national park. • It is believed to have lived between 72 and 74 million years ago during the Upper Cretaceous period. • The discovery of recent evidence is a proof that mammals roamed that part of South America a lot earlier than previously thought. • The finds are critical to completing the evolutionary puzzle of the Gondwanatheria, a group of long-extinct early mammals that coexisted with dinosaurs. • The scientists think Orretherium tzen cohabited with Magallanodon baikashkenke, which was thought to have been an evolutionary step between a platypus or marsupial, and dinosaurs such as the long-necked titanosaur.

86. MonkeyDactyl

In news- The new pterosaur nicknamed Monkeydactyl fossil was discovered in the Tiaojishan Formation of Liaoning, China.

About MonkeyDactyl- • The pterosaur species were reptiles, close cousins of dinosaurs and the first animals after insects to evolve powered flight. • They evolved into various species, while some were as large as an F-16 fighter jet, others were as small as paper airplanes. • The new pterosaur fossil was discovered in the Tiaojishan Formation of Liaoning, China, and is thought to be 160 million years old. • It has now been described by an international team of researchers from China, Brazil, UK, Denmark and Japan, and has been named Kunpengopterus antipollicatus, also dubbed “Monkeydactyl”. • Antipollicatus in ancient Greek means opposite thumbs, and it was attached to the name because the researchers’ findings could be the first discovery of a pterosaur with an opposed thumb. • By studying its forelimb morphology antipollicatus could have used its hand for grasping, which is likely an adaptation for arboreal life. • The recently found pterosaur fossil is far older than the one identified in 2019 which is believed to have lived over 77 million years ago in Western Canada. • Named Cryodrakon boreas, it was believed to be one of the largest flying animals, which “flew over the heads of dinosaurs”, with a wingspan of over 10 metres.

87. Whitest Paint

In news- Recently, engineers from Purdue University in the US have created the whitest paint ever.

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About Whitest Paint- • The team of researchers at the university created an ultra-white paint in pushing the limits of how white paint can be. • The older formulation was made of calcium carbonate, while the new one is made up of barium sulphate, which makes it whiter. • Secondly the team has used different sized particles of this chemical compound, which makes sure that the paint can scatter more of the light spectrum from the sun. • Barium sulphate is also used to make photo paper and cosmetics white. • This paint is closest equivalent to the blackest black paint called “Vantablack'' that is able to absorb up to 99.9 percent of visible light. • Benefits- • The newer white paint keeps the surface areas it is painted on cooler than the formulation before this could. • If this new paint was used to cover a roof area of 1,000 square feet, it may be able to get a cooling power of 10 kilowatts. • Paint is so white, that the paint can keep surfaces 19 degrees Fahrenheit cooler than their ambient surroundings at night. • It can also cool surfaces 8 degrees Fahrenheit below their surroundings under strong sunlight during noon hours.

88. National Climate Vulnerability Assessment Report

In news- Recently a study on a comprehensive national level assessment of climate vulnerability of states and districts across India was published.

Report Specifications- • ‘Climate Vulnerability Assessment for Adaptation Planning in India Using a Common Framework' is the title of the paper. • It was prepared in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, by the Indian Institute of Technology Mandi and the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati. • A total of 94 representatives from 24 states and two Union Territories participated in the nationwide exercise jointly supported by the DST and the Swiss Agency for Development & Cooperation (SDC). • Jharkhand, Mizoram, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Assam, Bihar, Arunachal Pradesh, and West Bengal have a relatively high vulnerability. • These are mainly in the eastern part of the country, necessitating the prioritisation of adaptation interventions. • Over 60% of districts in Assam, Bihar, and Jharkhand fall into the category of highly vulnerable districts. • Lack of forest area per 100 rural population was found to be one of the major drivers of vulnerability for Assam. • In the case of Bihar, the report cited poor health infrastructure to be the key vulnerability driver in 36 districts, followed by a high percentage of marginal and small operational holders in 24 districts. • The lack of implementation of the rural employment scheme MGNREGA, causing a lack of alternative livelihood opportunities and lack of women's participation in the workforce are the key drivers of vulnerability in Bihar. • Lack of crop insurance and rainfed agriculture were key drivers of vulnerability for Jharkhand. • Himachal Pradesh, Telangana, Sikkim and Punjab have been categorised as lower-middle vulnerable states.

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• Uttarakhand, Haryana, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Nagaland, Goa and Maharashtra have been categorised as states with low vulnerability.

Report's Importance- • The vulnerability assessment will help states prioritise adaptation preparation and investments by rating and identifying the most vulnerable districts and states. • It is essential for the development of adaptation projects for the Green Climate Fund, the Adaptation Fund, and funds from multilateral and bilateral organisations. • It will also promote Nationally Determined Contributions, which seek to improve climate change adaptation by the investments in development programmes in climate-vulnerable sectors.

89. Godzilla Shark

In news- Godzilla Shark, a monster shark whose fossilised skeleton was discovered in New Mexico in 2013, has been named ‘Dracopristis Hoffmanorum', or ‘Hoffman's Dragon Shark', by researchers.

About Godzilla Shark- • It is named in honour of the New Mexico family that owns the land in Albuquerque where the fossil of its teeth was first found in 2013. • The name was given to the ancient species by John Paul-Hodnett who teamed up with a slew of other researchers for the process. • Describing the fossil, that the chompers were squatter and shorter, this made him believe that it belonged to a previously undiscovered species. • Analyzing the structure of the teeth further, asserted that it was “great for grasping and crushing” prey rather than “piercing” it. • Name also harkens to the dragon-like jawline and 2.5-foot (0.75-meter) fin spines that inspired the discovery's initial nickname, “Godzilla Shark.” • Following the unearthing of 12 rows of teeth on the shark's lower jaw, the researchers made subsequent discoveries, leading to the completion of the skeleton recently. • Researchers believe that Hoffman's dragon shark most likely lived in the shallows along the coast, stalking prey like crustaceans, fish and other sharks. • The recovered fossil skeleton is considered the most complete of its evolutionary branch, ctenacanthus, that split from modern sharks and rays around 390 million years ago and went extinct around 60 million years later.

90. Pangolin

In news- A live pangolin was rescued by the Special Task Force (STF), a specialised team of the Odisha crime branch that deals with wildlife crimes from a village in Cuttack district.

About Indian pangolin- • The Indian Pangolin (Manis crassicaudata) and the Chinese Pangolin (Manis pentadactyla) are two of the eight pangolin species found in India. • A large anteater with 11-13 rows of scales on its back. • The Indian Pangolin also has a terminal scale on the lower side of its tail, which the Chinese Pangolin lacks. • The Indian Pangolin is found across India, with the exception of the arid regions, the high Himalayas, and the north-east. Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal, and Sri Lanka are also home to the species. 49 www.journalsofindia.com January to July 2021

• The Chinese Pangolin can be found in the Himalayan foothills of Eastern Nepal, Bhutan, Northern India, North-East Bangladesh, and Southern China. • IUCN Red List- Indian Pangolin: Endangered, Chinese Pangolin: Critically Endangered • Both these species are protected and are listed under the Schedule I Part I of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 and under Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). Eight species of pangolins- • Eight species of pangolins are found on two continents. • They range from Vulnerable to Critically Endangered. • Four species live in Africa: Black-bellied pangolin (Phataginus tetradactyla), White-bellied pangolin (Phataginus tricuspis), Giant Ground pangolin (Smutsia gigantea) and Temminck's Ground pangolin (Smutsia temminckii). • The four species found in Asia: Indian pangolin (Manis crassicaudata), Philippine pangolin (Manis culionensis), Sunda pangolin (Manis javanica) and the Chinese pangolin (Manis pentadactyla).

91. Disk Footed Bat

In news- Scientists in Meghalaya have discovered a new species of bats which has tangerine hued “disk-like pads” on its thumb.

About Disk Footed Bat- • The discovery was made by a Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) team. • With prominent disk-like pads in the thumb and bright orange coloration, the bat species Eudiscopus denticulus, also known as the disk-footed bat, stands out. • It has been discovered roosting in bamboo stems' internodal spaces. • A few locations in Southern China, Vietnam, Thailand, and Myanmar are known to support this species. • It was discovered in Meghalaya near the Nongkhyllem Wildlife Sanctuary in the Lailad district, about 1,000 kilometres west of its nearest known habitat in Myanmar. 50 www.journalsofindia.com January to July 2021

• IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern • There are 130 bat species in India. Nongkhyllem Wildlife Sanctuary- • Nongkhyllem Wildlife Sanctuary is located in Nongkhyllem, Thailand. • Nongkhyllem Wildlife Sanctuary is one of Meghalaya's most popular attractions, located in the Ri-Bhoi district near Lailad village and covering an area of 29 square kilometres. • The Sanctuary is located in the Eastern Himalayan Biodiversity Hotspot, which is a global biodiversity hotspot. • The sanctuary is home to a variety of fauna, including the Royal Bengal Tiger, Clouded Leopard, Indian Bison, and Himalayan Black Bear, among others. • Manipur Bush Quail, Rufous Necked Hornbill, and Brown Hornbill are among the uncommon bird species that can be found here.

92. Tiki formation

In news- A new species and two genera of cynodonts, small rat-like creatures that lived around 220 million years ago, have been discovered in the Tiki Formation in Madhya Pradesh, a treasure trove of vertebrate fossils.

Tiki formation- • In Madhya Pradesh, the Tiki Formation is a Late Triassic (Carnian to Norian) geologic formation. • Dinosaur remains are among the fossils discovered in the formation, but none have yet been assigned to a particular genus. • In the Tiki Formation, phytosaur fossils from the genus Volcanosuchus have also been discovered. • The Tiki Formation inspired the genera Tikiodon, Tikitherium, and Tikisuchus, as well as the species Rewaconodon tikiensis, Hyperodapedon tikiensis, and Parvodus tikiensis. • The majority of the Tiki Formation is related to Argentina's Ischigualasto Formation, Brazil's upper portion of the Santa Maria Formation, and the overlying lower Caturrita Formation, Madagascar's Isalo II Beds, Scotland's Lossiemouth Sandstone, and North America's lower Tecovas Formation.

Cynodonts: The Study and Importance of a New Species- • The scale, crown shape, and cusp structure of the fossil teeth were studied and compared to previously described cynodonts. • Cynodonts are significant in evolutionary studies since they are the ancestors of modern mammals. • One can see how their molar and premolar teeth evolved and changed over time by observing them. • The shape of their crowns indicates that these creatures are intermediate types that are very similar to the mammalian line of evolution. • Synapsids are a group of egg-laying vertebrates (amniotes) that includes cynodonts and living mammals.

93. State of the Global Climate for 2020

In news- World Meteorological Organization (WMO) released its annual State of the Global Climate for 2020 on April 20, 2021.

Highlights of the report- • The pandemic-related economic downturn had little impact on climate change drivers and their escalating effects.

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• Despite a cooling La Nia event, 2020 was one of the three warmest years on record. • The global average temperature was around 1.2 degrees Celsius higher than it was before the industrial revolution (1850-1900). • Since 2015, the last six years have been the warmest on earth. • The decade from 2011 to 2020 was the warmest on earth.

WMO identified five main indicators of irreversible climate change- 1) Greenhouse Gases: • Despite the economic downturn, global greenhouse gas emissions increased in 2019 and 2020. • Furthermore, in 2021, greenhouse gas emissions would be higher. • Globally averaged mole fractions of carbon dioxide (CO2) have already surpassed 410 parts per million (ppm), and if the CO2 concentration follows the same trend as previous years, it could hit or exceed 414 ppm in 2021. 2) Oceans: • In 2019, the oceans had the highest heat content on record. • In 2020, it has broken this record further. • Over 80 per cent of the ocean area experienced at least one marine heatwave in 2020. 3) Sea-level rise: • Since record-taking started in 1993 using the satellite altimeter, sea-level has been rising. • However, there was a blip in summer of 2020 that recorded a drop in sea level due to the La Niña induced cooling. • Sea level has recently been rising at a higher rate partly due to the increased melting of the ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica. 4) The Arctic: • The Arctic sea-ice extent fell to its second-lowest level on record in 2020. • Temperatures in the Siberian Arctic were more than 3°C above average in 2020 in a wide area, with a record high of 38°C in the town of Verkhoyansk. 5) The Antarctica: • The Antarctic sea-ice extent remained close to the long-term average. • However, the Antarctic ice sheet has exhibited a strong mass loss trend since the late 1990s. • Currently, Antarctica loses approximately 175 to 225 Gt per year, due to the increasing flow rates of major glaciers in West Antarctica and the Antarctic Peninsula.

94. Leaders’ Summit on Climate

In news- On Earth Day, 22 April, the US President Joe Biden hosted a meeting with the world's leaders titled the 'Leaders Summit on Climate'.

About Leaders Summit on Climate- • The Leaders Summit on Climate was a two-day virtual event. • It is a precursor to the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) that will take place later this year in Glasglow. • It is a forum that gets together the 17 major economies that are responsible for approximately 80 percent of global emissions as well as global GDP. • They are Australia, Brazil, Canada • China, the European Union, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Russia, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States.

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Main Objectives of this Summit- • Get the world's major economies to reduce emission in this decade while also getting the public and private sector involvement. • Show how climate action can have economic and social benefits. • Build new businesses and industries using the technology available to adapt to climate change but also reduce emissions. • Use nature-based solutions to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. • Protect lives and livelihoods by finding ways to adapt to climate change.

95. Earth day, 2021

In news- Earth Day was recently observed on April 22nd all over the world to show appreciation for environmental conservation.

About Earth Day- • The first Earth Day was held in 1970, when 20 million people took to the streets to protest environmental destruction. • The 1969 Santa Barbara oil spill, as well as other problems like smog and contaminated rivers, sparked the event. • The United Nations declared April 22nd to be "International Mother Earth Day" in 2009. • On Earth Day 2016, the historic Paris Agreement was signed, bringing nearly 200 countries together to set a collective goal to reduce global greenhouse emissions. • The aim of Earth Day is to create the world's largest environmental movement in order to bring about positive change for people and the environment. • It acknowledges a shared obligation under the 1992 Rio Declaration, which seeks to foster peace with nature and the Earth in order to establish a just balance between the needs of current and future generations of humanity. • It offers an opportunity to raise global public consciousness about the issues facing the planet's well-being and all the life it supports. • Theme for Earth Day 2021- ‘Restore Our Earth'. • Natural processes, new green technology and creative thinking that will preserve the world's habitats are the themes for Earth Day 2021. Earth Hour- • The annual Earth Hour programme, which started in 2007, is organised by the World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF). • Every year on the last Saturday in March, it takes place. • It urges people in more than 180 countries to switch off the lights between the hours of 8.30 and 9.30 p.m. local time.

96. Xylophis deepaki

In news: A tiny wood snake has been named as “Xylophis deepaki” to honour Indian herpetologist Deepak Veerappan for his contribution in erecting a new subfamily Xylophiinae for wood snakes.

About Xylophis deepaki: • The common name suggested for the species is 'Deepak’s wood snake'. 53 www.journalsofindia.com January to July 2021

• It is a tiny snake of just 20 cm length with iridescent scales. • It was first found on a coconut plantation in Kanyakumari. • It is now reported to be an endemic species of Tamil Nadu. • It has also been sighted in some parts of the Southern Western ghats, especially in the drier regions and in lower altitudes around Agasthyamalai hills.

Xylophis is a small genus of snakes in the family Pareidae. They constitute the monotypic subfamily Xylophiinae. The following 5 species are recognized as being valid which are all endemic to Western ghats- • Xylophis captaini - Captain's wood snake, Captain's xylophis • Xylophis deepaki - Deepak's wood snake • Xylophis mosaicus - Anamalai wood snake • Xylophis perroteti - Perrotet's mountain snake, striped narrow-headed snake • Xylophis stenorhynchus - Günther's mountain snake They are the only pareidae snakes found in India and the only snakes in the family found outside Southeast Asia.

97. Bryocrumia Malabarica

In news: A new species of moss of the genus Bryocrumia has been named after the Malabar region of Kerala from where it was spotted.

About the moss- • Bryocrumia malabarica, discovered in the Malabar Wildlife Sanctuary along the Western Ghats, is special. • This tiny bryophyte is only the second species to be identified in the genus Bryocrumia. • For years, the genus Bryocrumia was thought to include only one species – Bryocrumia vivicolor. • Found on rocks in streams, B.vivicolor has been spotted in Congo and Uganda in Africa, North and South Carolina in the United States, China’s Yunnan, Nuwara Eliya in Sri Lanka, and Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala in India. • Bryocrumia malabarica which is light green in colour differs from Bryocrumia vivicolor in the structure of its leaves. • The plant was first collected in 2014 as part of the PhD programme of one of the researchers. • It is the 12th species of bryophytes newly described from Kerala in recent years.

98. Global Forest Goals Report 2021

In news: The United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) recently published the Global Forest Goals Report 2021.

Key Highlights- • To combat the challenges of COVID-19, climate change, and the biodiversity crisis facing forests, the study recommended a potential course of action that included greater sustainability and a greener, more inclusive economy. • 252 million people living in forests and savannas are expected to earn less than US$1.25 a day, which was the World Bank's poverty line calculation until 2015. • Nearly 18 percent of the world's forests were legally protected areas in 2020, compared to just over 14 percent in 2000.

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• Between 2010 and 2020, the global area of protected forests increased by approximately three million hectares per year, with increases in every country. • Currently, 73 percent of the world's forests are owned by the government, 22 percent by private individuals, and the rest is classified as "unknown" or "other".

About Global Forest Goals Report- • It is the first assessment of where the world stands in terms of meeting the UN Strategic Plan for Forests 2030. • It is based on 52 voluntary national reports and 19 voluntary national contributions that constitute 75% of the world's forests. • It was created by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) and its United Nations Forum on Forests Secretariat (UNFFS). • It is based on global quantitative and biophysical evidence, primarily from the Food and Agriculture Organization's Global Forest Resources Assessment (FRA) 2020. • It gives an initial assessment of progress toward achieving the six Global Forest Goals and the 26 related priorities outlined in the UN Strategic Plan for Forests 2030.

United Nations Strategic Plan for Forests 2017-2030 (UNSPF)- • At a special session of the UN Forum on Forests in 2017, the first-ever UN Strategic Plan for Forests was adopted. • The strategy includes six Global Forest Goals and 26 related targets that must be met by 2030. • Both of them are self-evident and universally applicable. • It also contains a target of increasing forest area by 3% globally by 2030. • This represents a 120 million hectare rise, or more than twice the size of France.

99. Moorhen yoga mat

In news: A biodegradable and compostable yoga mat has been developed from water hyacinth by six young girls from the fishing community near Deepor Beel lake in Assam.

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About Moorhen yoga mat- • The ‘Moorhen Yoga mat’ is named after Kam Sorai (Purple moorhen, a resident bird of Deepor Beel Wildlife sanctuary). • The mat comes in a cotton canvas cloth bag where no zip or metal closures are used. • The bag has an adjustable strap and closures effectively designed to be in sync with biodegradability. • It is a hand-woven 100% biodegradable and 100 % compostable mat developed through fiber processing and technological interventions which could improve the aquatic ecosystem of the wetland through the removal of water hyacinth. • It has resulted in the engagement of 38 women from 3 fringe villages (Keotpara, Notun Basti and Borbori). • The intervention was triggered through an initiative by North East Centre For Technology Application and Reach (NECTAR), an autonomous body under the Department of Science & Technology (DST). • It involved the entire women community associated with a collective called ‘Simang’ meaning dream, led by the 6 girls to create wealth from water hyacinth plants. • “7WEAVES”, (a sister concern of the Simang Collectives) team provided expertise on natural dyeing from locally available natural materials like lac, onion skins, iron and jaggery, in various patterns for the mat. Water hyacinth- • Water hyacinth is a free-floating perennial aquatic plant (or hydrophyte) native to tropical and subtropical South America. • It is the fastest-growing plant known, which reproduces primarily by way of runners or stolons. • In their native range, these flowers are pollinated by long-tongued bees and they can reproduce both sexually and clonally. • The invasiveness of the hyacinth is related to its ability to clone itself. • Its habitat ranges from tropical desert to subtropical or warm temperate desert to rainforest zones. • Water hyacinths do not grow where the average salinity is greater than 15% that of sea water.

Uses- • Since the plant has abundant nitrogen content, it can be used as a substrate for biogas production and the sludge obtained from the biogas. • Water hyacinth removes arsenic from arsenic-contaminated drinking water. • It is observed to enhance nitrification in wastewater treatment cells of living technology. • Their root zones are superb micro-sites for bacterial communities. • Water hyacinth is a common fodder plant in Africa though excessive use can be toxic. • Water hyacinths can be cultivated for waste water treatment (especially dairy waste water). • It is used internationally for fertilizer and as animal feed. • It is used for making furniture, handbags and other woven products and for paper production on a small scale. • The flowers are used for medicating the skin of horses.

100. Parker solar probe

In news: The Parker solar probe has detected a natural radio signal from Venus.

Key findings- • The signal revealed that the probe passed through the upper atmosphere of Venus, collecting the first direct measurement of it in almost 30 years.

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• The spacecraft uses the gravity of Venus as it swings around the planet, called a gravity assist, to help bend the probe's orbit and bring it closer and closer to the sun. • In July 2020, Parker Solar Probe's WISPR instrument detected a bright rim around the edge of the planet that may be nightglow. • The information gathered by Parker so far about Venus is helping scientists to understand why it's so different from Earth, even though the planets are often referred to as twins. • Unlike Earth, Venus doesn't have a magnetic field and its inhospitable surface has blazing temperatures that can melt lead. • The probe collected evidence that Venus' upper atmosphere goes through some unusual changes that are influenced by the solar cycle. • Earth and Venus both have an ionosphere and the plasma emits natural radio waves that can be picked up by instruments like Parker's FIELDS. • During the July 2020 flyby, the radio signal picked up by the FIELDS instrument helped the researchers to determine that the Venusian ionosphere is much thinner during solar minimum than it is during solar maximum.

Previous missions to explore Venus include NASA's Pioneer Venus Orbiter from 1978 to 1992 and the European Space Agency's Venus Express from 2005 to 2014, both of which orbited the planet.

Parker Solar Probe- • It is the first-ever mission to "touch" the Sun. • The spacecraft, about the size of a small car, travels directly through the Sun's atmosphere. • It was launched aboard a Delta IV-Heavy rocket from Cape Canaveral, on Aug. 12, 2018. • In order to unlock the mysteries of the Sun's atmosphere, the Probe uses Venus’ gravity during seven flybys over nearly seven years to gradually bring its orbit closer to the Sun. • It is part of NASA’s Living with a Star program to explore aspects of the Sun-Earth system that directly affect life and society. • The spacecraft and instruments are protected from the Sun’s heat by a 4.5-inch-thick carbon-composite shield, which needs to withstand temperatures outside the spacecraft that reach nearly 2,500 F. • The primary science goals for the mission are to trace how energy and heat move through the solar corona and to explore what accelerates the solar wind as well as solar energetic particles. • It carries four instrument suites designed to study magnetic fields, plasma and energetic particles, and image the solar wind.

101. Global methane assessment

In news: A Global Methane Assessment by the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has been released.

Highlights- • More than half of global methane emissions stem from human activities in three sectors: fossil fuels (35 percent of human-caused emissions), waste (20 percent) and agriculture (40 percent). • Currently available measures could reduce emissions from these major sectors by approximately 180 Mt/yr, or as much as 45 per cent, by 2030. • Such reductions would avoid nearly 0.3°C of global warming by 2045. • This would be consistent with keeping the Paris Climate Agreement’s goal to limit global temperature rise to 1.5˚C within reach. 57 www.journalsofindia.com January to July 2021

• Mitigation potential from all measures is expected to increase between 2030 and 2050, especially in the fossil fuel and waste sectors. • The potential strategies that would be adopted include- ○ Reduce emissions from the oil and gas sector by promoting renewables ○ Improved treatment and disposal of solid waste ○ Reducing food waste and loss, improving livestock management, and the adoption of healthy diets.

102. Shuvuuia deserti

• About 70 million years ago, in present Mongolia and northern China, a pint-sized nocturnal predator called Shuvuuia deserti lived. • The name Shuvuuia is derived from the Mongolian word shuvuu meaning "bird". • It was a pheasant-sized, two-legged Cretaceous Period dinosaur weighing about as much as a small house cat. • It lacked strong jaws and sharp teeth unlike many carnivorous dinosaurs, but had a bird-like and lightly built skull and many tiny teeth like grains of rice. • It belonged to a group called alvarezsaurus which had nocturnal vision very early in their lineage, but super- hearing took more time to evolve. • Shuvuuia deserti, or "desert bird" is the only known species in this group. • It had visual and auditory capabilities akin to a barn owl, indicating it could hunt in total darkness. • It had a very wide scleral ring, indicating an extra-large pupil size that made its eye a specialized light- capture device. • Unlike birds, it had short but powerful arms ending in a single large claw, good for digging. • Shuvuuia is unique among non-avian theropods in the skull's ability to perform pyrokinesis, that is, it could flex its upper jaw independently of its braincase. • Contemporary genera included Velociraptor and Protoceratops.

103. Green urja award

In news: Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Ltd (IREDA) has been conferred with “Green Urja Award”.

About IREDA- • It is a Mini Ratna (Category – I) Government of India Enterprise under the administrative control of the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE). • It is the only dedicated institution for financing Renewable Energy (RE) & Energy Efficiency (EE) projects in India. • It was established in 1987. • Motto is: “ENERGY FOR EVER”. • It has been notified as a “Public Financial Institution” under section 4 ‘A’ of the Companies Act, 1956 and registered as Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC) with RBI. • The main objectives of IREDA are: ○ To give financial support to specific projects and schemes for generating electricity and / or energy through new and renewable sources and conserving energy through energy efficiency. ○ To maintain its position as a leading organisation to provide efficient and effective financing in renewable energy and energy efficiency / conservation projects. ○ To increase IREDA`s share in the renewable energy sector by way of innovative financing.

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○ Improvement in the efficiency of services provided to customers through continual improvement of systems, processes and resources. ○ To strive to be a competitive institution through customer satisfaction. • It is awarded for being the Leading Public Institution in Financing Institution (FI) for Renewable Energy in 2021 by Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC).

104. Whitley award

In news- Nuklu Phom, a church worker from Nagaland has won the Whitley Award, 2021 alongside six other awardees from South Africa, Argentina, Brazil and Kenya.

More information- • He is awarded for his efforts to create a network of community-owned forests in the state and protect the rare Amur falcon. • He is the only Indian to win the prestigious award. • Over the years, he has been working towards creating a “Biodiversity Peace Corridor”, which is a network of villages across four districts in Nagaland to promote community conservation. • The idea is an extension of the “Yaongyimchen Community Biodiversity Area”, in Phom’s ancestral village in Longleng district, where he set up a community-based conservation model. • In Yaongyimchen, his work is primarily focused on conservation of wildlife and environment protection, but extends to education, health and micro-finance. • The Lemsachenlok Society, which he founded, was recognised by the United Nations Environment Programme in 2015 for its efforts towards conserving the Amur falcon. • It was a recipient of the India Biodiversity Award in 2018 and a Governor’s Gold Medal Award in 2021.

Note- Bibhuti Lahkar is a senior scientist at Aaranyak, a society for biodiversity conservation in Northeast India, was also shortlisted to the award along with Phom. He was shortlisted for building bridges between people and Asian elephants. About Whitley award- • It is awarded annually to individuals from the Global South by UK-based charity the Whitley Fund for Nature (WFN). • Each winner receives £40,000 in project funding over one year. • It is also known as the ‘Green Oscar’. • It was established in 1994 by Edward Whitley. • The Awards seek to recognise outstanding contributions to wildlife conservation with a focus on Asia, Africa and Latin America, bringing international attention to the work of deserving individuals committed to precipitating long-lasting conservation benefits with the support of local communities. • WFN also provides media and speech training to enable winners to effectively communicate their work and inspire further philanthropic support. • Each year a previous Whitley Award winner is selected to receive the Whitley Gold Award in recognition of their outstanding contribution to conservation. • The Gold Award winners are international advocates for biodiversity with the passion and ambition to spread conservation messages to a wider audience. • The Award is worth £60,000 in project funding for up to two years. • Gold winners also join the Whitley Awards Judging Panel and act as a mentor to new winners during the Awards week.

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105. Mount Pumori of Everest Massif

In news: Two women mountaineers, Baljeet Kaur of Himachal Pradesh and Gunbala Sharma of Rajasthan became the first Indian women to summit Mount Pumori in Nepal.

More information- • Two sherpas, Nuri Sherpa and Gelu Sherpa accompanied the two mountaineers to the peak respectively. • The mountaineers are part of a 12-member team that will attempt to conquer all four peaks that are part of the Everest Massif - Mt Nuptse (7,862 metres), Mt Pumori (7,161m), Mt Lhotse (8,516m), and Mt Everest (8,848.86m). • The duos are the first in the country to scale a mountain that is part of the Everest Massif. • On May 10, 2021 two Indian male mountaineers - Hem Raj and Stanzin Norboo had summited the same mountain, along with four sherpas. • From the technical point of view, Mt Pumori and Mt Nuptse are considered to be the toughest mountains to summit in the world.

About Pumori- • Pumori is a mountain on the Nepal-China border in the Mahalangur section of the Himalayas. • It lies just eight kilometres west of Mount Everest. • Pumori, meaning "the Mountain Daughter" in Sherpa language, was named by George Mallory. • Climbers sometimes refer to Pumori as "Everest's Daughter".

106. Subdoluseps nilgiriensis

In news- A new species of skink Subdoluseps nilgiriensis has been found from Nilgiri hills, Tamil Nadu (Western Ghats).

About Subdoluseps nilgiriensis: • The reptile has a slender body of just about 7 cm and is sandy brown in colour.

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• Based on genetic studies, the new species is closely related to Subdoluseps pruthi that is found in parts of the Eastern Ghats. • This species is only the third skink species discovered from mainland India in the last millennium. • Its discovery in a dry deciduous area, shows that even the dry zones of India are home to unrealised skink diversity which needs to be further explored. • Hence the notion that S. pruthi group skinks are restricted to the Eastern Ghats is falsified. • Skinks are non-venomous. • Their inconspicuous limbs make them resemble snakes. • Most skinks are diurnal and are usually secretive in their habits. • Most of the species are placed under the data-deficient category. • Subdoluseps nilgiriensis is currently considered a vulnerable species. • Potential threats include seasonal forest fires, housing constructions, brick kiln industries in the area and rapid urbanisation.

107. UNESCO World heritage sites

In news- Six Indian sites have been added to the tentative list of UNESCO’s world heritage sites.

About the sites- • The submissions were made by Archaeological Survey of India, which is responsible for the conservation and preservation of Indian monuments. • The six sites are namely Satpura Tiger Reserve, Iconic riverfront of city of Varanasi, Megalithic site of Hire Benkal, Maratha Military Architecture in Maharashtra, Bhedaghat-Lameta Ghat in Narmada Valley- Jabalpur, and temples of Kanchipuram. • With the addition of these six sites, UNESCO has 48 proposals in the tentative list of India. • Satpura Tiger Reserve-

Located in Madhya Pradesh, the Satpura National Park is home to 26 species of the Himalayan region including reptiles, and 42 species of Nilgiri areas. It is the largest tiger-occupied forest and also has the largest tiger population. The place has more than 50 rock shelters with paintings that are 1500 to 10,000 years old.

Ghats of Varanasi- • The Ganga river with its riverfront ghats fulfill the criteria of Cultural Landscapes, “that retains an active social role in contemporary society closely associated with the traditional way of life, and in which the evolutionary process is still in progress“.

Megalithic site of Hire Benkal • The 2,800-years-old megalithic site of Hire Benkal in Karnataka is one of the largest prehistoric megalithic settlements where some funerary monuments are still intact. The granite structures are burial monuments that may also have served many ritual purposes.

Maratha Military Architecture in Maharashtra • There are 12 forts in Maharashtra dating back to the era of the 17th-century Maratha king Chhatrapati Shivaji. The theme for the serial nomination of these forts is ‘Maratha Military Architecture in Maharashtra and Guerrilla Warfare’.

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Bhedaghat-Lametaghat in Narmada Valley • The iconic site from Madhya Pradesh, Bhedaghat, often referred to as the Grand Canyon of India, is a town in the Jabalpur district which is known for its marble rocks and their various morphological forms on either side of the Narmada river which flows through the gorge. It has also been observed that the magical marble mountains assume different colours and even shapes of animals and other living forms as one move through them. Several dinosaur fossils have been found in the area. In 1828, the first Dinosaur fossil was collected from Lameta Bed by William Sleeman.

Temples of Kanchipuram • The temple town of Kanchipuram in Tamil Nadu, is dotted with ancient temples in Dravidian style that are architectural marvels. Situated on the banks of River Vegavathi, this historical city once had 1,000 temples, of which only 126 (108 Shaiva and 18 Vaishnava) temples now remain. Its rich legacy has been the endowment of the Pallava dynasty, which made the region its capital between the 6th and 7th centuries.

Criteria to be selected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site- A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention - "Convention Concerning the Protection of the World's Cultural and Natural Heritage" administered by the UNESCO. It was adopted by the General Conference of UNESCO on 16 November 1972. Nominated sites must be of "outstanding universal value" and meet at least one of the ten criteria.

Cultural- • "To represent a masterpiece of human creative genius" • "To exhibit an important interchange of human values, over a span of time or within a cultural area of the world, on developments in architecture or technology, monumental arts, town-planning or landscape design" • "To bear a unique or at least exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition or to a civilization which is living or which has disappeared" • "To be an outstanding example of a type of building, architectural or technological ensemble or landscape which illustrates (a) significant stage(s) in human history" • "To be an outstanding example of a traditional human settlement, land-use, or sea-use which is representative of a culture (or cultures), or human interaction with the environment" • "To be directly or tangibly associated with events or living traditions, with ideas, or with beliefs, with artistic and literary works of outstanding universal significance"

Natural- • "To contain superlative natural phenomena or areas of exceptional natural beauty and aesthetic importance" • "To be outstanding examples representing major stages of earth's history, including the record of life, significant on-going geological processes in the development of landforms, or significant geomorphic or physiographic features" • "To be outstanding examples representing significant on-going ecological and biological processes in the evolution and development of terrestrial, fresh water, coastal and marine ecosystems and communities of plants and animals" • "To contain the most important and significant natural habitats for in-situ conservation of biological diversity, including those containing threatened species of outstanding universal value from the point of view of science or conservation".

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108. New Big5 project

In news- An international initiative called the New Big 5 project has announced the new Big 5 animals for wildlife photographers to pursue trophy photos of.

About the programme- • The “Big 5” is a historical term used by trophy hunters in Africa to group the five most prized and dangerous animals to shoot and kill. • This group consisted of the elephant, rhino, leopard, Cape buffalo, and lion. • The “New Big 5” project is an attempt to reclaim the term for conservation purposes and is supported by over 250 prominent photographers, conservationists and wildlife charities. • The elephant, lion, polar bear, gorilla and tiger, are announced as the new Big 5. • British wildlife photographer Graeme Green organised the initiative in April 2020. • The idea is “to create a New Big 5 of Wildlife Photography, rather than hunting,” (“Shooting with a camera, not a gun”). • All are keystone species listed by the IUCN as either critically endangered, endangered or vulnerable. • One of the hopes of the project is that it will further encourage photographic tourism globally.

109. A76 Iceberg

In news: An enormous iceberg, a little bigger than the state of Rhode Island, has broken off of Antartica.

About the iceberg- • The finger-shaped chunk of ice is roughly 105 miles (170 kilometers) long and 15 miles (25 kilometers) wide. • The 1,667-square-mile (4,320 square kilometers) iceberg is now the world’s biggest and has been called A- 76, after the Antarctic quadrant where it was first spotted. • A-68A was the previous title holder for the world's largest iceberg. • A-76 calved from the western side of Antarctica's Ronne Ice Shelf. • The Ronne Ice Shelf near the base of the Antarctic Peninsula is one of the largest of several enormous floating sheets of ice that connect to the continent’s landmass and extend out into surrounding seas. • It was captured by the European Union's Copernicus Sentinel, a two-satellite constellation that orbits Earth's poles. • The satellites confirmed an earlier observation made by the British Antarctic Survey, which was the first organization to notice the breakaway. • The berg is now floating freely on the Weddell Sea, a large bay in the western Antarctic. • As the ice shelf that this berg calved from was already floating on water, the event won't directly impact sea levels. • However, ice shelves help to slow the flow of glaciers and ice streams into the sea and the loss of parts of an ice shelf eventually contributes to rising seas. • A76 and its nearby predecessor A74 are both just part of natural cycles on ice shelves and are not due to human-induced climate change.

110. International Biodiversity day, 2021

In news- The International Day for Biological Diversity (IDB) was celebrated on May 22.

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About the International Day for Biological Diversity- • It is a United Nations sanctioned international day for the promotion of biodiversity issues. • When first created by the Second Committee of the UN General Assembly in late 1993, 29 December (the date of entry into force of the Convention of Biological Diversity), was designated The IBD. • In December 2000, the UN General Assembly adopted 22 May as IDB, to commemorate the adoption of the text of the Convention on Biological Diversity by the Nairobi Final Act of the Conference. • It falls within the scope of the UN Post-2015 Development Agenda's Sustainable Development Goals. • The critical role of biodiversity in sustainable development was recognized in a Rio+20 outcome document, "The World We Want: A Future for All". • IBD 2021 theme - "We're part of the solution". • IBD 2020 theme was “Our solutions are in nature”.

111. Amorphophallus titanium

In news- Recently in San Francisco’s Bay Area a corpse flower bloomed.

About the corpse flower- • The ‘corpse flower’ is a flowering plant, which is native to the rainforests of Sumatra in Indonesia. • The flower is known for its putrid smell, which is often compared to that of rotting flesh. • Its scientific name is ‘Amorphophallus titanium’. • The ultra-rare plant is known to bloom only once every seven to ten years. • The flower is also considered to be one of the world’s largest ‘unbranched inflorescence’ or a stalk bearing a cluster of flowers. • The average corpse flower has a lifespan of about 30-40 years. • Its saplings have been cultivated in zoos, botanical gardens and greenhouses around the world. • It can grow to be up to 10 feet tall and unveil two of its key components - a deep red skirt-like petal known as the ‘spathe’ and a yellow rod-like ‘spadix’. • The ‘corm’, a fleshy underground plant stem, acts as a storage organ where the corpse plant’s energy is stored. • The unique plant is said to have the biggest corm in existence, sometimes weighing around 100 kgs. • The main odorant which gives the flower its distinct smell is dimethyl trisulfide, the same compound that is emitted from cancerous wounds, microorganisms and some vegetables. • The stench is also caused by chemicals like dimethyl disulfide and methyl thioacetate, which are responsible for the garlic and cheese-like odour, as well as isovaleric acid, which gives the flower its sweat- like smell. • The flowers of the plant are pollinated by scavenging insects, which are drawn to it due to its odour, hence it is also known as a Carrion flower. • It was listed as an endangered plant in 2018 by the IUCN. • It is not easy to preserve the corpse flower outside its natural habitat as it requires a very specific level of heat and humidity to thrive. • The seeds of the plant known as recalcitrant seeds are not easy to store either as drying and freezing - the main methods to store seeds will kill them.

112. Banni grassland

In news- The National Green Tribunal (NGT) recently ordered all encroachments to be removed from Gujarat's Banni grasslands within six months and directed a joint committee to prepare an action plan in a month.

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More information- • The region's nomadic pastoralist community, the Maldharis, united under Banni Pashu Uchherak Maldhari Sangthan (BPUMS), had filed a case against the rampant encroachment in the ecologically-sensitive grassland in May, 2018. • The court said that the Maldharis will continue to hold the right to conserve the community forests in the area, granted to them as per the provisions in Section 3 of Forest Rights Act, 2006.

About the grassland- • It forms a belt of arid grassland ecosystem on the outer southern edge of the desert of the marshy salt flats of Rann of Kutch in Kutch District and accounts for almost 45 per cent of the pastures in Gujarat. • Two ecosystems, wetlands and grasslands, are juxtaposed in Banni. • The word ‘Banni’ comes from the Hindi word ‘banai’, meaning made. • The land here was formed from the sediments that were deposited by the Indus and other rivers over thousands of years. • On May 11, 1955, the court notified that the grassland will be a reserve forest. • On July 3, 2019, the NGT ordered to demarcate the boundaries of the Banni grassland and restricted non- forest activities. • Banni Grasslands Reserve and Narayan Sarovar Sanctuary, both in Kutch, have been classified by Wildlife Institute of India (WII) as the last remaining habitats of the cheetah in India and possible reintroduction sites for the species. • The grasslands are home to mammals such as the nilgai, chinkara, blackbuck, wild boar, golden jackal, Indian hare, Indian wolf, caracal, Asiatic wildcat, desert fox, and Indian wild ass. • During good rainfall years it forms important staging grounds for migratory birds like flamingos, cranes and resident birds.

Maldharis- • Maldharis are descendants of nomads who periodically came from Pakistan, Rajasthan and other parts of Gujarat, and finally settled in the Banni grasslands. • Their major communities include Sindhi Sunni Muslims and Vadhas. • The literal meaning of Maldhari is keeper (dhari) of the animal stock (mal). • They are notable as the traditional dairymen of the region, and once supplied milk and cheese to the palaces of rajas. • The majority of the Maldharis in Gir belong to (Charan) minority castes which include Koli, Kathi, Bawa, Meghwal and Makranis. • The Maldharis of Gir, Alech and Barda have been included among the Scheduled Tribes since 1956, although these castes are not classified as Scheduled Tribes outside the forest areas. • In some areas, weddings are traditionally held just one day each year, on Krishna Janmashtami, which falls in the midst of the monsoon. • They have developed a local breed of buffalo called Banni Buffaloes which have strong resilience to the harsh conditions of the Banni. • The Banni Buffalo was recognized as the 11th breed of buffalo in the country in 2010, the first one to be registered post-independence. • The breed registration process was carried out through the Maldharis themselves. • The buffaloes yield 12-18 litres of milk a day and survive by feeding on the grassland.

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113. National Mission on use of biomass in thermal power plants

In news- The Ministry of Power has decided to set up a National Mission on use of Biomass in coal based thermal power plants to address the issue of air pollution due to farm stubble burning and to reduce carbon footprints of thermal power generation.

About the mission- It would support the energy transition in the country and help in achieving targets to move towards cleaner energy sources. It will also contribute to the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP).

The objectives of the mission are- • To increase the level of co-firing from present 5% to higher levels to have a larger share of carbon neutral power generation from the thermal power plants. • To take up R&D activity in boiler design to handle the higher amount of silica, alkalis in the biomass pellets. • To facilitate overcoming the constraints in supply chain of biomass pellets and agro- residue and its transport upto to the power plants. • To consider regulatory issues in biomass co-firing.

The Mission would have a Steering Committee headed by Secretary (Power) composed of all stakeholders including representatives from Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas (MoPNG), Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE) etc... • The Executive Committee would be headed by Member (Thermal), CEA. • National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) will play a larger role in providing logistic and infrastructure support in the proposed National Mission. • The Mission would have full time officers from CEA, NTPC, DVC and NLC or other participating organizations. • The duration of the proposed National Mission would be a minimum 5 years. • The Sub-Groups proposed to be formed under the Mission are- 1. Sub-Group 1: to be responsible to carry out research on properties/ characteristics of biomass. 2. Sub-Group 2: to carry out technical specification and safety aspects including research in boiler design etc… 3. Sub-Group 3: for resolving the issues of supply chain during the mission period and sensitization programme. 4. Sub-Group 4: to select designated labs and certification bodies for testing of Agro-based biomass pellets and Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) pellets. 5. Sub-Group 5: be formed on regulatory framework and economics of biomass co-firing in coal based Thermal power plants.

114. Van Gujjar community

In news- Uttarakhand High court recently slammed the state government for forcing families of Van Gujjars tribe to survive in conditions “below animal existence”.

More information- • A PIL was filed by a Delhi based NGO, Think Act Rise Foundation in 2019 to highlight the plight of Van Gujjars.

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• The PIL has pleaded for the community to be made a beneficiary under the Forest Right Act, giving them land rights and quashing petty cases against them. • The High court noted that some migrating Van Gujjars were forced to live under open skies in tough conditions after they were denied entry to Govind Pashu Vihar National Park in Uttarkashi by the deputy director of the park. • The HC order noted that since these families cannot sell the milk produced by their cattle due to the Covid- induced lockdown, their life was reduced to “below animal existence” for they have neither shelter, nor economic means to survive. • It directed that steps should be taken to allow their entry into the park to eke out a living if they test negative for COVID-19 and have the required legal documents with them. • It directed the Uttarkashi district magistrate and the deputy director of the park to accommodate the families in “pucca houses” and provide them with food, water and medicines besides fodder to their cattle.

About Vangujjars- • Van Gujjars are transhumant pastoralists inhabiting the foothills of Himalayan States such as Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir. • They usually migrate to grasslands in the upper Himalayas during summers to feed their buffaloes, their primary source of livelihood and subsistence. • These Van Gujjars are said to have migrated from Northwest India about 300 years ago and during the period of king Aurangazeb rule they have been converted to Muslims. • Buffalo grazing is adapted by seasonal movements in keeping with climatic variations prevailing between different altitudes of the mountain region of the Himalayas. • The Van Gujjars spend autumn (October – April) in the lower ranges of Chillarveli in the Shiwaliks and then move up in the summer and rainy season to the higher alpine regions of the Himalayas. • Such grazing provides Van Gujjars with a livelihood by the sale of milk from buffaloes which yield about 2-3 litres of milk per day. • Van Gujjars also make milk products such as butter, ghee for sale. • This highly ecologically sensitized movement is disturbed by the deliberate eviction of Van Gujjar families by the forest department which enclosed the forest area by declaring it as the Rajaji National Park during the year 1983.

115. Blackbuck

In news- According to the latest population census released recently by the Chief conservator of forest (wildlife), Odisha’s blackbuck population has doubled in the last six years.

More information- • The census was carried out by the state forest department in February, 2021 in Ganjam district only where Blackbucks are found in Odisha. • It used to be sighted in the Balukhand-Konark Wildlife Sanctuary in Puri district till 2012-13, but now has vanished from the area. • The antelopes numbered 7,358, out of which 4,196 are females, 1,712 are males and 1,450 young. • The numbers were 6,875 in 2020, 4,082 in 2018, 3,806 in 2015 and 2,194 in 2011. • The blackbuck is known in Odisha as Krushnasara Mruga. • Improvement of habitats, protection given by the local people and forest staff are said to be some of the reasons for the increase of the population of the blackbuck.

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About the Blackbuck- • The blackbuck (Antilope cervicapra) is also known as the Indian antelope. • It is a Schedule-1 animal according to the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 and is considered as ‘Vulnerable’ according to the IUCN Red Data Book. • It inhabits grassy plains and lightly forested areas with perennial water sources. • It is the sole living member of the genus Antilope and was scientifically described by Carl Linnaeus in 1758. • Males have 35–75 cm long, ringed horns, though females may develop horns as well. • The white fur on the chin and around the eyes is in sharp contrast with the black stripes on the face. • The coats of males show a two-tone colouration - while the upper parts and outsides of the legs are dark brown to black, the underparts and the insides of the legs are white. • Females and juveniles are yellowish fawn to tan. • The blackbuck is active mainly during the day. • It is an herbivore and grazes on low grasses. • In India, hunting of blackbuck is prohibited under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972. • The antelope is native to and found mainly in India, while it is extinct in Pakistan and Bangladesh. • In Nepal, the last surviving blackbuck population inhabits the Blackbuck Conservation Area south of Bardia National Park. • A few blackbucks are present in the Indian Institute of Technology Madras campus. • It might have been a source of food in the Indus Valley civilization, whose bone remains have been discovered in sites such as Dholavira and Mehrgarh. • It is routinely depicted in miniature paintings of the Mughal era. • It is considered to be the vehicle of Vayu (the wind god), Soma (the divine drink) and Chandra (the moon god). • In Tamil Nadu, the blackbuck is considered to be the vehicle of the Hindu goddess Korravai. • In Rajasthan, the goddess Karni Mata is believed to protect the blackbuck. • In the Yajnavalkya Smṛiti, Sage Yagyavalkya has quoted that - “in what country there is black antelope, in that Dharma must be known”.

116. Climate breakthroughs summit

In news- The virtual summit of Climate Breakthroughs Summit, 2021 took place recently.

About the summit- • It is collaboration between the World Economic Forum, Mission Possible Partnership, the United Nations Climate Champions, and the United Kingdom Climate Change Conference (COP26) Presidency. • Climate leaders at the summit discussed progress in critical sectors of the global economy, including steel, shipping, green hydrogen and nature. • One of its key campaigns is the ‘Race to Zero’ campaign that mobilises support of 708 cities, 24 regions, 2,360 businesses, 163 investors, and 624 higher education institutions to move towards zero-carbon recovery for a sustainable future. • It is committing to halving their emissions by 2030 in line with achieving the long-term goal of full decarbonization under the Paris Agreement. • Maersk, the world’s largest container shipping line and vessel operator was among the major new joiners of the campaign. • The announcement came in the backdrop of the World Meteorological Organization report that there is about a 40% chance of the annual average global temperature temporarily reaching 1.5°C in at least one of the next five years. 68 www.journalsofindia.com January to July 2021

• There is a 90% likelihood of at least one year between 2021-2025 becoming the warmest on record. • The event coincided with the publication of a report ‘Nature and Net Zero’ which reveals that natural climate solutions have the potential to provide one-third of the climate mitigation to reach a 1.5- or 2- degree pathway by 2030. • The report is written by the World Economic Forum, in collaboration with McKinsey & Company and it sets out six actions to accelerate the scale-up of high-quality implementation of natural climate solutions.

117. Jayanti spider cricket

In news- Jayanti has become the twelfth subgenus, or species, of cricket identified under the genus Arachnomimus Saussure, 1897.

More about the insect- • It was found in the Kurra caves of Chhattisgarh in April 2021 by a team of zoologists of Panjab University, Chandigarh. • The new subgenus was named Jayanti after Professor Jayant Biswas, one of the leading cave explorers in the country, who assisted the team. • Arachnomimus is the genus name given by Swiss Entomologist Henri Louis Frédéric de Saussure in 1878 to crickets that resembled spiders. • The word Arachnomimus is derived from two Ancient Greek words arakhne means “spider” and mimos, means “imitator, actor”. • The crickets of this group are commonly called spider crickets because of their smaller body size and long legs. • The newly discovered subgenus, Indimimus, is different from the two subgenera, Arachnomimus and Euarachnomimus because of the male genitalia structure. • Insects have a lock-and-key model genitalia structure which is unique to each subgenus. • Male crickets produce loud sounds by rubbing their wings against each other to attract females. • The females listen to these calls using ears located on their legs and approach the males for mating and reproduction. • But males of the new Jayanti subgenus cannot produce sound and their females don’t have ears. • They may communicate by beating their abdomen or any other body part on the cave walls. • Further studies on their skills of vibrational communication may help in designing hearing aids for humans which can capture quietest signals and amplify to an audible hearing range. • Though the distribution of these species is very wide, ranging from Brazil to Malaysia, in India, the diversity of spider crickets is still unexplored.

118. Jayanti spider cricket

In news- Jayanti has become the twelfth subgenus, or species, of cricket identified under the genus Arachnomimus Saussure, 1897.

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• Arachnomimus is the genus name given by Swiss Entomologist Henri Louis Frédéric de Saussure in 1878 to crickets that resembled spiders. • The word Arachnomimus is derived from two Ancient Greek words arakhne means “spider” and mimos, means “imitator, actor”. • The crickets of this group are commonly called spider crickets because of their smaller body size and long legs. • The newly discovered subgenus, Indimimus, is different from the two subgenera, Arachnomimus and Euarachnomimus because of the male genitalia structure. • Insects have a lock-and-key model genitalia structure which is unique to each subgenus. • Male crickets produce loud sounds by rubbing their wings against each other to attract females. • The females listen to these calls using ears located on their legs and approach the males for mating and reproduction. • But males of the new Jayanti subgenus cannot produce sound and their females don’t have ears. • They may communicate by beating their abdomen or any other body part on the cave walls.

119. Litoria mira frog

In news- A team of researchers led by Griffith University has described a new species of the Australasian tree frog genus Litoria from the rainforests of New Guinea.

About Litoria mira- • This frog is called Litoria mira, inspired by the Latin adjective ‘mirum’, which means surprised or strange, stemming from the scientist’s surprise in discovering an undescribed member of the predominately Australian Litoria genus of tree frogs. • An Australian scientist spotted the creature in 2016 and took a few specimens for genetic tests and research. • The cocoa-coloured frogs have turned out to be a new species. • It has a well-known relative, the common green tree frog of Australia called Litoria cerulean. • Except for the colour of their skins, the two seem alike. • However, genetic analysis shows that the Litoria mira has evolved to become genetically distinct to a point where the two species will not be able to breed. • Litoria mira can be distinguished from all other Litoria by its unique combination of moderately large size, webbing on hand, relatively short and robust limbs, and small violet patch of skin on the edge of its eyes. • Chocolate frogs from New Guinea and the Australian green tree frog are similar because Australia and New Guinea used to be linked by land for much of the late Tertiary period (2.6 million years ago), and share many biotic elements.

120. Global Nitrogen conference

In news- Eighth triennial conference of the International Nitrogen Initiative (INI) being held virtually from May 31- June 3, 2021.

Key updates- • The United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are the main focus of the eighth triennial conference. • Place of the conference: Berlin, Germany

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• The triennial event brought together scientists from around the world dealing with reactive nitrogen compounds in agriculture, industry, traffic, soil, water and air. • For the first time since the inception of INI, its conference was hosted by Germany’s Federal Environment Agency (Umweltbundesamt–UBA). • It is co-organized by the International Nitrogen Initiative. • The conference was also addressed by speakers from the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and UN Economic Commission on Europe, among others.

The International Nitrogen Initiative (INI)- • It is an international program, set up in 2003 under sponsorship of the Scientific Committee on Problems of the Environment (SCOPE) and from the International Geosphere-Biosphere Program (IGBP). • The INI holds a conference every three years, inviting members of the international nitrogen community to meet up and discuss ideas and exchange knowledge on nitrogen issues. • The last INI conference was held in Melbourne, in December 2016. • A key output of the conference was The Melbourne Declaration. • The key aims of the INI are to: ○ Optimize nitrogen’s beneficial role in sustainable food production, and ○ Minimize nitrogen’s negative effects on human health and the environment resulting from food and energy production.

121. State of Finance for Nature report

In news- The State of Finance for Nature report was jointly released by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the World Economic Forum (WEF) and the Economics of Land Degradation.

Highlights of the report- • Nature-based solutions (NbS) refer to sustainable management and use of nature to tackle socio- environmental challenges, which range from disaster risk reduction, climate change and biodiversity loss to food and water security as well as human health. • Agriculture, food and beverages and construction are the largest sectors that are dependent on nature. • Out of $133 billion investment that currently flows into NbS annually (using 2020 as base year), public funds make up 86 percent and private finance 14 percent of these investments. • These comprise about 0.10 per cent of global GDP. • Public sector spending for the same is dominated by the United States and China, followed by Japan, Germany and Australia. • NbS finance is much smaller in scale than climate finance. • Annual investments in NbS will have to be tripled by 2030 and increase four-fold by 2050 from the current level of investments. • By 2050, total investment of natural needs will amount to $8.1 trillion, while annual investment should reach $536 billion annually by 2050. • Forest-based solutions alone would amount to $203 billion per year. • The report did not cover all types of NbS, notably those in the marine environment were excluded. • However, it called for a comprehensive system and framework for labelling, tracking, reporting and verifying the state of finance for NbS.

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122. SDG India index 2020-21

In news- The third edition of the SDG India Index and Dashboard 2020–21 was released by NITI Aayog recently.

About the index- • The report is titled, ‘SDG India Index and Dashboard 2020–21: Partnerships in the Decade of Action’. • It is designed and developed by NITI Aayog with extensive consultations with the primary stakeholders -- the States and Union Territories, UN agencies led by United Nations in India, Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) and the key Union Ministries. • 13 Goals with 62 indicators were covered in its first edition in 2018, whereas the third edition covers 16 Goals on 115 quantitative indicators that are aligned to MoSPI’s National Indicator Framework (NIF) with a qualitative assessment on Goal 17.

• The SDG India Index computes goal-wise scores on the 16 SDGs for each State and Union Territory. • These scores range between 0–100, and if a State/UT achieves a score of 100, it signifies it has achieved the 2030 targets. • The higher the score of a State/UT, the greater the distance to target achieved.

States and Union Territories are classified as below based on their SDG India Index score: ○ Aspirant: 0–49 ○ Performer: 50–64 ○ Front-Runner: 65–99 ○ Achiever: 100 • In 2020-21, the country’s overall SDG score improved by 6 points, from 60 in 2019 to 66 in 2020–21. • This positive stride is largely driven by exemplary country-wide performance in Goal 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation) and Goal 7(Affordable and Clean Energy), where the composite Goal scores are 83 and 92, respectively.

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• While in 2019, ten States/UTs belonged to the category of Front-Runners (score in the range 65–99, including both) twelve more States/UTs found themselves in this category in 2020–21. • Uttarakhand, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Mizoram, Punjab, Haryana, Tripura, Delhi, Lakshadweep, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh graduated to the category of Front-Runners (scores between 65 and 99, including both).

123. Blue-finned Mahseer

In news- The Blue-finned Mahseer has been moved to the ‘least concern’ status from ‘endangered’ of the IUCN red list. The golden mahseer is still in danger of going extinct.

About the fish- • Mahseer fish belongs to the genus Tor of family Cyprinidae (carps). • It thrives in clear rivers and lakes of India and southeastern Asia, and among the largest of Indian river fishes. • They are commercially important game fish, as well as highly esteemed food fish. • They are potential candidate species for aquaculture. • It is very sensitive to dissolved oxygen levels, water temperature and sudden climatic changes, hence an important indicator of freshwater ecosystems. • They are omnivorous, eating not only algae, crustaceans, insects, frogs, and other fish, but also fruits that fall from trees overhead. • The first species from this group were scientifically described by Francis Buchanan-Hamilton in 1822. • The following sub species of Mahseer are generally recognized by scientists in India: ○ "Golden Mahseer" or Tor Putitora found in the Himalayan streams and rivers. ○ "Blue Fin / Deccan Mahseer" or Tor Khudree found in rivers of the Deccan Plateau. ○ "Red Finned Mahseer" or Tor Tor found in the rivers of central India. ○ "Chocolate Mahseer" or Neolissochilus hexagonolepis, found in the Indian Himalayan region. ○ "Humpback Mahseer '' or Tor remadevii found in the Cauvery River and its tributaries, largest of all the subspecies.

124. Anti-hail gun of Himachal Pradesh

In news- The Himachal Pradesh government will test the usage of indigenously made "anti-hail guns" to aid horticulturists who suffer crop damage due to hailstorms.

About anti-hail gun- • It is a machine which generates shock waves to disrupt the growth of hailstones in clouds. • The indigenous guns have been developed by IIT Bombay along with Dr Y S Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry at Nauni (Solan). • This gun fixed structure somewhat resembling an inverted tower, several metres high, with a long and narrow cone opening towards the sky. • The gun is “fired” by feeding an explosive mixture of acetylene gas and air into its lower chamber, which releases a shock wave (waves which travel faster than the speed of sound, such as those produced by supersonic aircraft). • These shock waves supposedly stop water droplets in clouds from turning into hailstones in a radius of 500 metres, so that they fall simply as raindrops. • The machine is repeatedly fired every few seconds during an approaching thunderstorm. 73 www.journalsofindia.com January to July 2021

How hail is formed? • Hail is produced by cumulonimbus clouds, which are generally large and dark and may cause thunder and lightning. • In such clouds, winds can blow up the water droplets to heights where they freeze into ice. • The frozen droplets begin to fall but are soon pushed back up by the winds and more droplets freeze onto them, resulting in multiple layers of ice on the hailstones. • This fall and rise is repeated several times, till the hailstones become too heavy and fall down.

125. Sea Snot in Turkey

In news- Recently, Turkey has launched a campaign to clean up sea snot in the Sea of Marmara.

What is sea snot? • ‘Sea snot’ is marine mucilage that is formed when algae are overloaded with nutrients as a result of water pollution combined with the effects of climate change. • Phytoplankton thrive in warmer and nutrient-rich waters, and then discharge the snotty substance. • The thick slimy layer of organic matter, which looks like a viscous, brown and foamy substance, has now spread through the sea south of Istanbul and also blanketed harbours and shorelines. • Dumping of sewage in the sea along with rising temperatures is causing the crisis. • The current outbreak in the Sea of Marmara is by far the biggest in the country’s history. • A ‘sea snot’ outbreak was first recorded in the country in 2007. • Back then, it was also spotted in the Aegean Sea near Greece.

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Impact of the Sea Snot- • It has caused mass deaths among the fish population, and also killed other aquatic organisms such as corals and sponges. • The sludge is getting collected in fishermen nets, making them so heavy that they break or get lost. • Moreover, the mucilage coating the strings makes the nets visible to fish and keep them away. • Experts have warned that the ‘sea snot’ can cause an outbreak of water-borne diseases such as cholera in cities.

126. Two new national parks in Assam

In news- Assam has got its 6th and 7th National parks- Dehing Patkai wildlife sanctuary and Raimona reserve forest.

About the new parks- • Assam till now had five national parks -- Kaziranga, Nameri, Orang, Manas and Dibru-Saikhowa. • The new National parks would help promote conservation efforts and aid tourism and agriculture sectors as well. • Assam now is the state with the third highest number of national parks (7) in the country, after Madhya Pradesh’s 11 and Andaman and Nicobar’s 9. • The Dehing Patkai wildlife sanctuary (notified in 2004) is located inside the larger Dehing Patkai Elephant Reserve, which spreads across Dibrugarh, Tinsukia and Sivasagar districts of Upper Assam. • The Dehing Patkai Wildlife Sanctuary is also known as the Jeypore Rainforest. • It is named after Dehing river that flows through this forest and Patkai is the hill at the foot of which the sanctuary lies. • It is believed to be the last remaining contiguous patch of lowland rainforest area in Assam. • It is said to have the highest concentration of the rare endangered White Winged Wood Duck. • It is the only sanctuary in India which is home to seven different species of wild cats - tiger, leopard, clouded leopard, leopard cat, golden cat, jungle cat and marbled cat. • Assamese macaque, Malayan giant squirrels are found in the forest. • The decision to upgrade it to a national park was announced by the Assam government in July 2020, just months after the illegal coal mining controversy in the park. • The Raimona national park is within the Bodoland Territorial Region. • It is bounded on the west by the Sonkosh river and the Saralbhanga river on the east, both being the tributaries of Brahmaputra and Pekua river defines the southern boundary. • It is famous for Golden Langur, an endemic species which has been named as the mascot of Bodoland region. • It is also home to the elephants, tiger, clouded leopard, several species of orchids. • It is surrounded by the Phipsoo Wildlife Sanctuary in Bhutan to its north, the Buxa Tiger Reserve in West Bengal to its west and the Manas National Park to its east.

127. Gharial

In news- The Mahanadi Wildlife Division in Odisha recently announced a cash reward of Rs 1,000 for rescuing gharials and informing wildlife personnel. The state forest department has launched an awareness drive to save the crocodiles in five districts: Boudh, Angul, Cuttack, Sonepur and Nayagarh.

About Gharials- • Gharials, also called gavials, are a type of Asian crocodilian distinguished by their long, thin snouts. 75 www.journalsofindia.com January to July 2021

• They live in clear freshwater river systems, congregating at river bends where the water is deeper. • They are not well-suited for land. • Gharials regulate their body temperature by basking in the sun to warm up or resting in shade or water to cool down. • Once found from Pakistan to Myanmar, the reptile’s range has shrunk to two countries – India and Nepal. • In India, they are found in Girwa (Uttar Pradesh), Son (Madhya Pradesh), Ramganga (Uttarakhand), Gandak (Bihar), Chambal (Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan) and Mahanadi (Orissa) and along the Narayani River of Nepal. • Male gharials sport a large growth on their snout called a ghara, the Hindi word for “mud pot“, which they use to vocalize and blow bubbles during mating displays. • They are listed in schedule 1 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 and also described as critically endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. • Their habitat is threatened because of human encroachment and fishing activities. • Gharials do not stalk and lunge at prey like other crocodilians and their snouts contain sensory cells that can detect vibrations in the water. • They are genetically weaker than salt water crocodiles and muggers. • Protected areas of Gharial include- National Chambal Sanctuary – It is a tri-state protected area (Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh) for the protection of the Gharial and also the Endangered Ganges river dolphin and Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary, UP.

128. Protection of heritage trees in Maharashtra

In news- The Maharashtra government is set to make amendments to the Maharashtra (Urban Areas) Protection and Preservation of Trees Act of 1975, to introduce provisions for the protection of ‘heritage trees’.

More information- • Under the proposed amendment, a tree with an estimated age of 50 years or more shall be defined as a heritage tree. • It may belong to specific species, which will be notified from time to time. • Experts believe that in addition to the age, the Maharashtra state climate change department will be implementing the Tree Act. • Maharashtra Tree Authority in local civic bodies and councils will be formed which will take all decisions regarding the protection of trees. • The local Tree Authority will have to ensure tree census to be carried out every five years along with counting of heritage trees. • A proposal to cut more than 200 trees of age 5 years or more, will be referred to the state tree authority. • The tree’s age will determine the number of trees to be planted as part of the compensatory plantation- as per the amendment, the number of trees planted will be equal to the age of the heritage tree that is cut. • The organization planting the compensation trees will also have to ensure the survival of the plantation for seven years and geo-tag the trees. • Such plantations can be carried out either in the same plot or a common amenity plot. • In case compensatory plantation is not possible, the tree feller has to pay compensation for the economic valuation of the trees being felled (the amount of oxygen that a tree releases into the environment should determine its economic value). • The fine for illegal felling of trees from a maximum of Rs 5,000 to Rs 1 lakh per tree.

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129. Argostemma quarantena

In news- A new plant species belonging to the coffee family is spotted in the Vagamon hills in Kerala.

More information- • It is a delicate herbaceous species from the family Rubiaceae. • It has been named Argostemma quarantena to commemorate the millions who have died in the COVID-19 pandemic. • It is a perennial herb which grows to a height of 3-7cm and is characterised by striking white flowers. • It is very sensitive to microclimatic changes and is found in wet rocks in shaded, undisturbed habitats, notably along streams in evergreen forests. • The new species sports similarities with two south Indian endemics, Argostemma anupama and Argostemma courtallense. • However, it differs in attributes like the stem, leaves and stipules. • As it is known only from its type locality at Vagamon, the species has been classified Data Deficient (DD) under IUCN standards as extensive field surveys are required to assign an appropriate category. • It is the fifth species discovered from Vagamon by research teams and the others include- Eriocaulon meenachilense, a new tuberous species and Litsea manilaliana, named after botanist K.S. Manilal.

130. Pyrostria laljii

In news- A team of researchers from India and the Philippines recently discovered a 15-meter-tall tree that belongs to the genus of the coffee family from the Andaman Islands.

About the tree- • Pyrostria is a genus of dioecious flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. • Most of the species are endemic to Madagascar, others occur on islands in the western Indian Ocean (Mauritius, Comoros, Réunion, Rodrigues, Socotra), a few are found in continental Africa, and only six species occur in tropical Southeast Asia. • The new species, Pyrostria laljii, is the first record of the genus Pyrostria in India. • The tree is distinguished by a long stem with a whitish coating on the trunk, and oblong-ovate leaves with a cuneate base. • It was first reported from South Andaman’s Wandoor forest. • The other places in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands where the tree could be located are the Tirur forest near the Jarawa Rerserve Forest and the Chidia Tapu (Munda Pahar) forest. • The discovery is unique as the species is a big tree and yet has not been recorded as a new species. • Other physical features that distinguish the tree from other species of the genus is its umbellate inflorescence with 8-12 flowers. • The colour of the flowers varies from white to cream, and turns brown after pollination. • It has been assessed as ‘Critically Endangered’ in the IUCN Red List. • The other plants from the family Rubiaceae that are common in India are cinchona, coffee, adina, hamelia, ixora, galium, gardenia, mussaenda, rubia, morinda. • The researchers have also discovered a new species of pokeweed named Rivina andamanensis growing under large trees, shaded and rocky areas, along with herbs and shrubby plants. • It is the first record of the pokeweed family Petiveriaceae in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

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131. WHO report on e-waste In news- The recently published WHO report titled ‘Children and Digital Dumpsites’ underlined the risk children working in the informal processing faced due to discarded electronic devices or e-waste.

Key highlights of the report- • According to the report, more than 18 million children, adolescents and 12 million women working at e- waste dumpsites in low- and middle-income countries are potentially at the risk of severe health hazards. • This e-waste is dismantled and recycled by children. • It contains over 1,000 precious metals and other substances like gold, copper, mercury and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. • The processing is done in low-income countries, which do not have proper safeguarding regulation and which makes the process even more dangerous. • Children are given preference because of their small and dexterous hands. • About 53.6 million tonnes of e-waste was generated in 2019. • Only 17.4 percent of this e-waste was processed in formal recycling facilities. • The rest of it was dumped in low- or middle-income countries for illegal processing by informal workers. • Processing e-waste exposes women as well as their children to these toxins, which can lead to premature births and stillbirth. • The hazardous impact of working at such sites is also experienced by families and communities that reside in the vicinity of these e-waste dumpsites. • Children working at these ‘digital dumpsites’ are more prone to improper lung function, deoxyribonucleic acid damage and increased risk of chronic diseases like cancer and cardiovascular disease.

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E-waste status in India E-waste typically includes discarded electronic devices such as computers, televisions, mobile phones, tablets and other video and voice recorders, as well as electrical appliances, both heavy and light. About 95 per cent of India's e-waste is recycled in the informal sector and in a crude manner. India’s 1st e-waste clinic was opened in Bhopal, Madhya pradesh. E-waste management rules- 2016- 1. Manufacturer, dealer, refurbisher and Producer Responsibility Organization (PRO) have been introduced as additional stakeholders in the rules. 2. The applicability of the rules has been extended to components, consumables, spares and parts of EEE in addition to equipment. 3. Compact Fluorescent Lamp (CFL) and other mercury containing lamps brought under the purview of rules. 4. Collection mechanism based approach has been adopted to include collection centre, collection point, take back system etc for collection of e - waste by Producers under Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR). 5. Option has been given for setting up of PRO , e - waste exchange , e - retailer, Deposit Refund Scheme as additional channels for implementation of EPR by Producers to ensure efficient channelization of e - waste. 6. Provision for Pan India EPR Authorization by CPCB has been introduced replacing the state wise EPR authorization. 7. Deposit Refund Scheme has been introduced as an additional economic instrument wherein the producer charges an additional amount as a deposit at the time of sale of the electrical and electronic equipment and returns it to the consumer along with interest when the end - of - life electrical and electronic equipment is returned. 8. The manufacturer is also now responsible to collect e - wastes generated during the manufacture of any electrical and electronic equipment and channelizes it for recycling or disposal and seek authorization from SPCB. 9. Dealer or retailer or e - retailer shall refund the amount as per take back system or Deposit Refund Scheme of the producer to the depositor of e - waste. 10. Refurbishes need to collect e - waste generated during the process of refurbishing and channelizes the waste to authorised dismantler or recycler through its collection centre. 11. The roles of the State Government have also been introduced in the Rules in order to ensure safety, health and skill development of the workers involved in the dismantling and recycling operations. 12. Department of Industry in State or any other government agency authorised in this regard by the State Government is to ensure earmarking or allocation of industrial space or shed for e - waste dismantling and recycling in the existing and upcoming industrial park, estate and industrial clusters. 13. Liability for damages caused to the environment or third party due to improper management of e - waste including provision for levying financial penalty for violation of provisions of the Rules has also been introduced. 14. Urban Local Bodies (Municipal Committee/Council/Corporation) have been assigned the duty to collect and channelize the orphan products to authorized dismantlers or recyclers.

E-waste (Management) Amendment Rules, 2018- • The e-waste collection targets under EPR have been revised and will be applicable from 1 October 2017. • Separate e-waste collection targets have been drafted for new producers, i.e. those producers whose number of years of sales operation is less than the average lives of their products. . • Producer Responsibility Organizations (PROs) shall apply to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) for registration to undertake activities prescribed in the Rules. • Under the Reduction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) provisions, cost for sampling and testing shall be borne by the government for conducting the RoHS test.

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132. Black softshell turtle

In news- A major temple in Assam has signed an MoU with two NGOs to conserve black softshell turtles.

Key updates- • The temple has signed MoU with the Assam State Zoo cum Botanical Garden and the Kamrup district administration for long-term conservation of the freshwater turtle. • The event also marked the launch of a vision document by setting in motion a plan to have a ecologically viable population of 1000 adults of black softshell turtles in Assam by 2030. • It was launched after Turtle Survival Alliance India and Help Earth signed the pact involving the Hayagriva Madhava Temple Committee. • The ponds in the temple, revered by both Hindus and Buddhists, is at Hajo near to Guwahati

About the black softshell turtle: • It is a freshwater turtle that is found in Bayazid Bastami shrine at Chittagong, Bangladesh and Assam and in temple ponds in these places. • Originally, it was native to Brahmaputra river. • In the 1800s it was believed these turtles were brought from Iran to Chittagong shrine pond by Hazrat Bayezid Bostami. • Scientific name: Nilssonia nigricans. • To the locals and worshipers, the black softshell turtle is known as Mazari. • It has an observably different appearance compared to that of a common turtle. • This turtle, similar to all other softshell turtles, has a semi-flexible shell that is leathery, and does not obstruct movement as much as the average hardshell. • It has a very distinct nose and face, with a tube-like structure protruding from its nose resembling and functioning similar to a snorkel. • They have hand-like structures that are webbed, as opposed to other turtles like sea turtles who have a wider arm. • It is omnivorous, with a diet ranging from aquatic plants to aquatic insects and carrions. • Traditionally it is being hunted ruthlessly for its meat and cartilage and challenged by illegal trade in regional and international markets. • Its IUCN status has been downlisted to ‘Critically Endangered’ in 2021 but does not enjoy legal protection under the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. • CITES: Appendix-I

133. Land for life award, 2021

In news- Shyam Sundar Jyani, a Rajasthan-based climate activist, has won the prestigious United Nations' Land for Life Award for his environment conservation concept, Familial Forestry.

Key updates- • The announcement was made by the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). • The unique concept of familial forestry relates a tree with a family, making it a green "family member." • It involves transferring the care of the tree and environment in the family so that a tree becomes a part of the family’s consciousness.

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• More than a million families from more than 15,000 villages of desert-prone northwest Rajasthan in over 2.5 million saplings have been planted in the past 15 years, with active participation of students and desert dwellers. • Jyani was chosen by the UNCCD among 12 shortlisted candidates across the globe. • He is an associate professor of Sociology in Rajasthan's Bikaner, has been campaigning for Familial Forestry for over 15 years. • Two candidates had been shortlisted from India - the other being Jaggi Vasudev, popularly known as Sadguru, who has been campaigning for environmental causes for several years.

About the Award- • The award was launched at the UNCCD COP (Conference of Parties) 10 in 2011. • It is considered as the world's highest reward regarding land conservation and restoration. • The Award will recognize innovative and excellent efforts in land restoration and conservation, particularly in regards to the SDG 15 “Life on Land” and the Target 15.3 “Land Degradation Neutrality”. • The winner will receive an individually tailored UNCCD secretariat support package for the duration of two years. • This year's theme for the award was "Healthy Land, Healthy Lives". • The Award ceremony will take place in August 2021 at the Eighth Kubuqi International Desert Forum in China.

134. Bengal monitor lizards

In news- The forest department of Odisha recently busted an organised trafficking racket and seized seven Bengal monitor lizards.

About the Bengal monitor lizards- • The Bengal monitor or common Indian monitor (Varanus bengalensis) is a large lizard that is mainly terrestrial. • It is 61-175 cm long. • It is widely distributed over the Indian Subcontinent, as well as parts of Southeast Asia and West Asia. • It is found in river valleys in eastern Iran, Afghanistan, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Burma. • They are found to be absent from the Andaman Islands. • The species is distributed mainly in the lower elevations, and is found both in dry semiarid desert habitats to moist forest. • The lizard is known as bis-cobra in western India, Goyra in Rajasthan, guishaap or goshaap in West Bengal and Bangladesh, goh in Punjab and Bihar, as ghorpad in Maharashtra and as Thalagoya in Sri Lanka. • Folk traditions have various stories of monitor lizards being used by soldiers to climb walls of forts. • The monitors are carnivorous and non-poisonous. • It is protected under Schedule I of Wildlife Protection Act (WPA) but is regularly killed for its meat, blood and oil. • Its genitals are sold as a charm or an aphrodisiac as well as cure for several ailments. • The species is listed under the ‘Least Concern’ category on the IUCN Red List.

135. World's 1st GM rubber

In news- The world’s first genetically modified (GM) rubber plant was planted on the outskirts of Guwahati, Assam.

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About the tree- • It has been developed at the Kerala-based Rubber Research Institute of India (RRII). • The GM rubber plant, the first of its kind, is developed exclusively for the northeast and is expected to thrive in the climatic conditions of the region. • This is the first time any GM crop is developed exclusively for this region. • The plant has additional copies of the gene MnSOD (manganese containing superoxide dismutase) in it. • The MnSOD gene has the ability to protect plants from the adverse effects of severe environmental stresses such as cold, drought, etc...and low and high temperatures as well as high light intensity. • The new crop is expected to cut short the maturity period of rubber, indicating chances for early yielding as well. • As natural rubber is a native of warm humid Amazon forests and is not naturally suited for cold conditions in the northeast, the plant is expected to tide over severe cold conditions during winters. • Commercial planting would be taken up later, depending on the results of the experiments conducted at the farm. • As there are no plant species in India that can breed with natural rubber, there is no risk of genes flowing from the GM rubber into any other native species. • Though different from Bacillus Thuringiensis (BT), GM Rubber is the second genetically modified crop to start field trials in India after Bt. Cotton. Rubber- • Rubber, also called India rubber, latex, Amazonian rubber, caucho consists of polymers of the organic compound isoprene, with minor impurities of other organic compounds, plus water. • Currently, rubber is harvested mainly in the form of the latex from the rubber tree which is a sticky, milky and white colloid drawn off by making incisions in the bark • The latex then is refined into rubber that is ready for commercial processing. • Rubber has a large stretch ratio and high resilience, and also is water-proof. • India is the third largest natural rubber producing country of the world, next to Thailand and Indonesia, producing about 9 per cent of the global output. • In India almost the entire rubber is produced in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

136. Great Barrier Reef’s heritage status

In news- The World Heritage Committee under UNESCO has proposed to downgrade the status of Australia's Great Barrier Reef, recommending it to be added to the list of World Heritage sites ‘in danger’.

Reasons for downgrade- • Severe environmental degradation in the Barrier reef. • Mass coral bleaching events that drain corals of their bright colours and led to their population decline by half since 1995 as ocean temperatures have climbed.

Impact- The recommendation could add one of Australia’s most prominent natural features to a list of 53 sites in the endangered category.

Other sites which have been downgraded are: The cities of Venice, Budapest and Liverpool, as well as the Tanzania Game Reserve.

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Determining the list of endangered heritage sites- The list of endangered heritage sites is designed to inform the international community when the very factors that make a site worthy of being deemed a World Heritage Site are at risk, and to spur “corrective action”. One of the criteria for determining whether a natural heritage site should be placed in the endangered category includes a “serious decline” in the population of an endangered species that the site was meant to protect.

About the reef: • The Great Barrier Reef, located in the Coral Sea off Australia’s East Coast, is the largest coral reef(coral reef ecosystem) in the world. • It is stretching over 2,300km. • The reef has been designated a World Heritage site since 1981 for its “enormous scientific and intrinsic importance”. • The Reef has a global reputation for its turquoise waters, kaleidoscopic corals, abundant life and over 900 islands. • This includes the Whitsunday Islands, Lizard Island and Heron Island. • It can be seen from outer space and is the world’s biggest single structure made by living organisms. • It contains the world’s largest collection of coral reefs, with 400 types of coral, 1,500 species of fish and 4,000 types of mollusc.

137. 4th Tiger Reserve of Rajasthan

In news- Recently, NTCA has given the nod to Ramgarh Vishdhari Sanctuary of Rajasthan for the Tiger Reserve.

About Ramgarh Vishdhari Sanctuary/tiger reserve(in Bundi)- • It is located 45 kilometres from Bundi on the Bundi-Nainwa road, Rajasthan. • In this sanctuary several species of poisonous snakes are found and hence probably named Vishdhari. • It will be the 4th Tiger reserve (TR) for the state and 52nd TR for the nation. • Other tiger reserves of Rajasthan are Ranthambore Tiger Reserve (RTR) in Sawai Madhopur, Sariska Tiger Reserve (STR) in Alwar, and Mukundra Hills Tiger Reserve (MHTR) in Kota. • The sanctuary acts as a cushion for the Ranthambore National Park. • The sanctuary is spread over an area of 252 Sq. Km. • The total area of 1,017 sq. km has been identified as the reserve area comprising two forest blocks of Bhilwara, territorial forest block of Bundi and Indargarh, which falls under the buffer zone of Ranthambore Tiger Reserve (RTR). • In 1982 the forest was declared as a Wildlife Sanctuary.

National Tiger Conservation Authority(NTCA)- • The NTCA was created to strengthen tiger conservation in the nation. • It is a statutory body under the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change constituted under enabling provisions of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, as amended in 2006. • The objectives of NTCA are: o Providing statutory authority to Project Tiger. o Fostering accountability of Center-State in management of Tiger Reserves, by providing a basis for MoU with States within our federal structure. o Addressing livelihood interests of local people in areas surrounding Tiger Reserves. o Providing for oversight by Parliament.

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138. Antarctic treaty turned 60 years old

In news- Antarctic treaty 1959 celebrated its 60th anniversary recently

Antarctic treaty 1959- • The Antarctic Treaty and related agreements, are collectively known as the Antarctic Treaty System (ATS). • The treaty entered into force in 1961. • The treaty sets aside Antarctica as a scientific preserve, establishes freedom of scientific investigation, and bans military activity on the continent. • Negotiated during the middle of the Cold War by 12 countries with Antarctic interests, it remains the only example of a single treaty that governs a whole continent. • The treaty is also the foundation of a rules-based international order for a continent without a permanent population. • For the purposes of the treaty system, Antarctica is defined as all of the land and ice shelves south of 60°S latitude. • It has 54 signatories. • A protocol to the 1959 treaty was signed in 1991. • The agreement banned mineral and oil exploration for 50 years and included regulations for the protection of the Antarctic environment. • India officially acceded to the Antarctic Treaty System on 1 August 1983 with a consulting status. • The treaty is short and contains only 14 articles, some of them are:

139. Ambergris

In news- The police and forest department recently arrested six men for smuggling two kgs of ambergris in Tamil Nadu's Thoothukudi.

About Ambergris- • It is commonly known as whale vomit. • It is an extremely expensive substance used in manufacturing perfume.

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• It is a waxy substance formed inside the stomach of sperm whales which hunt and eat giant squids and colossal squids. • It is formed by the beaks of squid that are partially digested by sperm whales and then released into the sea. • This whale excretion is so valuable it is referred to as floating gold. • As per the latest estimates, 1 kg of ambergris is worth Rs 1 crore in the international market. • Ancient Egyptians used it as incense. • It is also believed to be used in some traditional medicines. • Since the sperm whale is a protected species, hunting of the whale is not allowed. • However, smugglers are known to have illegally targeted the fish in order to obtain the valuable Ambergris from its stomach.

140. Red panda

In news- A red panda rescued was recently released into the wild in Arunachal Pradesh.

About Red Panda- • Red panda, also called lesser panda, red cat-bear, or red bear-cat is reddish brown, long-tailed, raccoon-like mammal, about the size of a large domestic cat. • Its Scientific Name is Ailurus fulgens. • It is found in the mountain forests of the Himalayas and adjacent areas of eastern Asia. • Red pandas are made up of two subspecies -- the Himalayan red panda (Ailurus fulgens fulgens), which resides in the mountains of northern India, Tibet, Bhutan, and Nepal, and the Chinese red panda (A. fulgens styani), which lives in China’s Sichuan and Yunnan provinces. • It is also the state animal of Sikkim. • It subsists mainly on bamboo and other vegetation, fruits, and insects. • Once classified as a relative of the giant panda, it is now usually classified as the sole member of the family Ailuridae. • The head and body length of the red panda is 50–65 cm and the tail 30–50 cm long. • The feet have hairy soles, and the claws are semi-retractile. • It is nocturnal and may live alone, in pairs, or in family groups. • The red panda has an extra thumb for feeding and climbing. • IUCN status- Endangered • Conservation issues include habitat fragmentation and degradation, predation by feral dogs and occasional hunting and poaching.

141. Spinner dolphin

In news- A four-feet-long male Spinner dolphin (Stenella longirostris) carcass was washed ashore in Odisha’s Paradip town within the Bhitarkanika National Park.

About the Spinner Dolphins- • They are small cetaceans with a slim build and member of the family Delphinidae of toothed whales. • This species has an elongated rostrum and a triangular or sub-triangular dorsal fin. • They are found in off-shore tropical waters around the world. • It is famous for its acrobatic displays in which it spins along its longitudinal axis as it leaps through the air.

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• It is sometimes referred to as the long-snouted dolphin to distinguish it from the similar Clymene dolphin, which is often called the short-snouted spinner dolphin. • The species was described by John Gray in 1828. • It is included in Schedule I of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 and in Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species and in Appendix II of the Convention on Migratory Species. • It is categorised as ‘Data deficient’ on the IUCN Red List. • Though the species primarily inhabits coastal waters, islands, banks, in the eastern tropical Pacific, they live far from shore. • The four subspecies are: ○ Eastern spinner dolphin (S. l. orientalis) from the tropical eastern Pacific. ○ Central American or Costa Rican spinner dolphin (S. l. centroamericana) also found in the tropical eastern Pacific. ○ Gray's or Hawaiian spinner dolphin (S. l. longirostris), from the central Pacific Ocean around Hawaii. ○ Dwarf spinner dolphin (S. l. roseiventris), first found in the Gulf of Thailand.

142. Energy compact goals

In news- Recently, NTPC declared its Energy Compact goals as part of UN High-level Dialogue on Energy (HLDE).

Key points of NTPC’s declaration- • NTPC, India’s largest power generating company under the Ministry of Power has become the first energy company in the energy domain in India to declare its Energy Compact goals as part of UN HLDE. • NTPC has set a target to install 60 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2032. • It is also aiming at a 10% reduction in net energy intensity by 2032. • NTPC has declared that it will form at least 2 international alliances/groups to facilitate clean energy research and promote sustainability in the energy value chain by 2025. • The targets were unveiled in the recently held ‘Ministerial Thematic Forums for the HDLE’ event. • The Company had earlier planned to have a minimum of 32 GW capacity through RE sources constituting nearly 25% of its overall power generation capacity by 2032.

What is the UN High-level Dialogue on Energy (HLDE)? • HLDE presents a historic opportunity to provide transformational action in the first years of the SDG Decade of Action and support the implementation of the Paris Agreement. • It seeks to promote the implementation of the energy-related goals and targets of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and to raise ambition and accelerate action towards the achievement of the SDG 7 energy targets. • The UN Secretary-General is convening the HLDE at the summit level during the 76th session of the UN General Assembly in September 2021, in New York. • This event was mandated by General Assembly resolution 74/225. • It will be the first global gathering on energy under the auspices of the UN General Assembly since the UN Conference on New and Renewable Sources of Energy in 1981. • Efforts to catalyze Energy Compacts will be co-led by Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) together with UN-Energy members.

143. Bharitalasuchus Tapani In news- Recently, an international team has thrown light on Bharitalasuchus Tapani, a carnivorous reptile that lived 240 million years ago. 86 www.journalsofindia.com January to July 2021

Key updates- • In the mid 20th century, researchers from the Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata, carried out extensive studies on rocks of the Yerrapalli Formation in Telangana, uncovering several fossils. • By studying some of these specimens stored at the Institute, an international team has now thrown light on this carnivorous reptile. • A precise identification had not been possible earlier because the family was not known from other examples in India.

About the Bharitalasuchus Tapani- • It belongs to a genus and species previously unknown to science. • Bharitalasuchus is an extinct genus of erythrosuchid archosauriformes known from the Middle Triassic Yerrapalli Formation of India. • It contains a single species, Bharitalasuchus tapani, known from a holotype and paratype consisting of tooth-bearing cranial fragments. • The species is named after paleontologist Tapan Roy Chowdhury in honour of his contribution to Indian vertebrate paleontology and especially his extensive work on the Yerrapalli Formation tetrapod fauna. • Bharitalasuchus tapani were robust animals with big heads and large teeth, and these probably predated other smaller reptiles. • They were approximately the size of an adult male lion and might have been the largest predators in their ecosystems. • In the Telugu language, Bhari means huge, Tala means head, and Suchus is the name of the Egyptian crocodile-headed deity. • The first Erythrosuchidae remains were discovered in South Africa in 1905 and more were found in China and Russia. • The South African one is about 245 million years old, while the ones from China and Russia are around 240 million years old. • So the Indian one is one of the youngest fossil records we have of an erythrosuchid.

Yerrapalli Formation- • It is a Triassic rock formation that outcrops in the Pranhita–Godavari Basin in southeastern India. • It preserves fossils of freshwater and terrestrial vertebrates as well as trace fossils of invertebrates. • Apart from this erythrosuchid reptile, the fossil assemblage of the Yerrapalli Formation includes many other extinct creatures such as ceratodontid lungfish, rhynchosaur and allokotosaurian. • Most of the Yerrapalli Formation consists of red mudstones.

144. Mizoram apple snail

In news- A team of researchers from Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE), Bangalore; have discovered a new type of Apple snail.

About the snail- • Pila mizoramensis is the sixth member of the Pila genus from India and the second species to inhabit hill streams. • Pila is commonly known as Apple Snails. • It is currently found in only two localities in Mizoram. • It is right coiled and is a close relative of the Southeast Asian species, Pila virescens. • It has a shell height and diameter of about 2.5 cm. 87 www.journalsofindia.com January to July 2021

• Its habitat has perennial waterfalls and the snail was found among algae and semi-aquatic plants in the spray or splash zones of the waterfalls. • Its locality has a temperature not exceeding 25 degrees Celsius and receives an annual rainfall of over 2500 mm. • There are only two species of Pila from India which are restricted to streams and the other one Pila saxea is found in the northern Western Ghats.

About Apple snail- • Ampullariidae, commonly named the apple snail, is a family of large freshwater snails. • They are unusual because they have both a gill and a lung and are amphibious. • They are probably of Gondwanan origin. • They are exceptionally well adapted to tropical regions characterized by periods of drought alternating with periods of high rainfall.

145. LEAF coalition

In news- At the recently concluded Leaders’ Summit on Climate, the LEAF coalition came up with a $1 billion fund plan that shall be offered to countries committed to arrest the decline of their tropical forests by 2030.

About Lowering Emissions by Accelerating Forest Finance (LEAF) Coalition- • The LEAF Coalition was launched by an initial group of governments and leading companies. • LEAF is a collective of the United States, United Kingdom, Norway governments & others. • The coalition aims to mobilize at least $1 billion in financing, kicking off what is expected to become one of the largest ever public-private efforts to protect tropical forests. • It would also be to the benefit of billions of people depending on them, and to support sustainable development. • LEAF was supported by transnational corporations (TNCs) like Unilever plc, Amazon.com, Inc, Nestle, Airbnb, Inc as well as Emergent, a US-based non-profit. • It empowers tropical and subtropical forest countries to move more rapidly towards ending deforestation, while supporting them in achieving their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement. • Companies are invited to participate in the LEAF Coalition by purchasing high-quality emissions reductions as part of broader voluntary commitments to global climate action. • It is a step towards concretising the aims and objectives of the Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) mechanism. REDD+- • REDD+ was created by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). • It monetised the value of carbon locked up in the tropical forests of most developing countries, thereby propelling these countries to help mitigate climate change. • According to the UN-REDD programme, after the energy sector, deforestation accounts for massive carbon emissions close to 11 per cent in the atmosphere. • A country willing to participate would need to fulfil certain predetermined conditions laid down by the Coalition. • It is a unique initiative as it seeks to help developing countries in battling the double-edged sword of development versus ecological commitment. • Performance will be measured against the TREES standard. 88 www.journalsofindia.com January to July 2021

About TREES standard- • TREES is a high-integrity standard building on over a decade of progress in international support for reducing deforestation and ensuring social and environmental integrity. • TREES is managed by ART, a voluntary global initiative hosted by Winrock International. • ART also maintains the registry on which Emissions Reductions are issued, transferred and retired. • ART will issue verified Emissions Reductions (called “TREES credits” under the TREES standard) to participating jurisdictions that reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation. • Each of these represent one tonne of CO2.

146. 'Last Ice area' of Arctic

In news- According to scientists, a part of the Arctic’s ice called “Last Ice Area”, has melted before expected.

Key updates- • World Wildlife Fund (WWF)-Canada was the first to call this area the ‘Last Ice Area’. • This region is located north of Ellesmere Island in the Canadian territory of Nunavut and Greenland. • 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 and Walruses use the surface of the ice for foraging. • In 2019, the Government of Canada in cooperation with Inuit leadership announced the creation of a new Marine Conservation Area that will cover 319,000 square kilometers of this habitat. • According to National Geographic, while climate projections forecast the total disappearance of summer ice in the Arctic by the year 2040, the only place that would be able to withstand a warming climate would be the “Last Ice Area”. • It is called so because floating sea ice there is usually so thick that it’s likely to withstand global warming for decades. • In a paper published in the journal “Communications Earth & Environment”, researchers have noted that in August 2020 the area where the Last Ice Area (LIA) is located, experienced a record low concentration of sea ice.

• The main cause for the sudden ice loss was extraordinary strong winds that pushed the ice out the region and down the coast of Greenland. 89 www.journalsofindia.com January to July 2021

• 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.

147. Vulture conservation in Valmiki Tiger Reserve

In news- Following the recent sighting of 150 vultures in Bihar's Valmiki Tiger Reserve (VTR), officials have started planning for conservation of vultures.

Key updates- • According to forest officials, Egyptian vulture (Neophron percnopterus), Griffon vulture (Gyps fulvus), White-rumped vulture (Gyps bengalensis) and Himalayan griffon (Gyps himalayensis) were among the 150 individuals spotted in VTR. • About 75-80 vultures, the highest number, were spotted at the Ganauli range, followed by Madanpur and others. • The proposed plan for vulture conservation had been sent to the Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitats (IDWH), after approval of which a formal vulture conservation programme will begin in all five ranges of VTR. • As per the plan, a rescue centre for vultures will be set up in the Ganauli range. • The state government has been planning to create a diclofenac-free zone for conservation of vultures in areas bordering Nepal. • Vultures earlier died after consuming the flesh of animals that were administered Diclofenac, which was introduced as an anti-inflammatory medicine for livestock.

Conservation status of Vultures In India- • Critically endangered – White-Rumped Vulture, White-Backed Vulture, Ruppell’s Vulture, Indian Vulture, Slender-Billed Vulture • Endangered – Cape Vulture • Near Threatened – Himalayan Vulture • Least Concern – Griffon Vulture • India’s conservation efforts are focussed on the three species of vultures which are Critically Endangered – White-backed Vulture, Slender-billed Vulture, and Long-billed Vulture. Valmiki Tiger Reserve- • Valmiki Tiger Reserve forms the eastern most limit of the Himalayan Terai forests in India, and is the only tiger reserve of Bihar. • It is in the north-westernmost West Champaran district of Bihar. • Situated in the Gangetic Plains bio-geographic zone of the country, the forest has a combination of bhabar and terai tracts. • In the north, the protected areas are bordered by Nepal's Chitwan National Park while the Indian state Uttar Pradesh bounds the sanctuary from western side. • River Gandak forms the western boundary of Valmiki wildlife sanctuary. • Harha – Masan River system originates from the Valmiki Forests and forms Burhi Gandak River down south. • River Pandai flows into Bihar (India) from Nepal in the eastern end of the Sanctuary and meets Masan. • ‘Tharu’, a scheduled tribe, is the dominant tribe in the landscape.

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148. Expressions of Interest (EoI) for the sale of fly ash by NTPC

In news- Recently, NTPC invited EOI for the sale of fly ash in the Middle East and other regions. It has invited EOI in its endeavour towards 100% utilization of fly ash.

What is Fly Ash? • Fly Ash is a by-product of power generation with coal. • Fly ash is the finely divided residue that results from the combustion of pulverized coal and is transported from the combustion chamber by exhaust gases • It is used as a supplementary cementitious material (SCM) in the production of portland cement concrete.

Benefits of Fly Ash- • Increasing the life of concrete roads and structures by improving concrete durability. • Net reduction in energy use and greenhouse gas and other adverse air emissions when fly ash is used to replace or displace manufactured cement. • Reduction in the amount of coal combustion products that must be disposed of in landfills. • Conservation of other natural resources and materials.

Promotion of Fly Ash by NTPC- • To promote the use of Fly Ash bricks in building construction, NTPC has set up Fly Ash brick manufacturing Plants at its Coal based Thermal Power Plants. • These bricks are being utilized in plants as well as township construction activities exclusively. • As per the MoEF&CC directives, NTPC stations are keeping at least 20% of total Fly Ash produced in reserve for the issue to Fly Ash brick/ blocks/ tiles manufacturers and issuing Fly Ash free of cost to them. • About 9% of the total Fly Ash produced in NTPCs stations, is being utilized by Fly Ash bricks/ blocks and tiles manufacturing units annually. • The power producer is leveraging Indian Railways’ sprawling network to transport Fly Ash in an economical and environment-friendly manner. • Further, during the year 2020-21, almost 15 NTPC stations supplied Fly Ash to various Road projects and Ash utilization crossed by nearly 20 million tonnes.

New Fly Ash rules for thermal power plants-2021- In order to deal with environmentally hazardous fly ash generated from coal and lignite based thermal power plants (TPPs) centre has issued following rules: • The Centre has made it mandatory for such plants to ensure 100% utilisation of fly ash within three to five years. • It also, for the first time, introduced fines on non-compliant plants under the ‘polluter pays principle’, taking into account utilisation targets from April 1 next year. • Under the draft plan, notified by the environment ministry in April 2021, non-compliant TPPs will have to pay a fine of Rs 1,000 per tonne on unutilised ash which is to be accounted at the end of every financial year based on annual reports. • Existing provisions allow TPPs to fully utilise fly ash in a four-year cycle in a staggered manner. • The new plan will, however, follow a three-year cycle for 100% utilisation of fly ash with a grace period of a year. • The ministry’s draft plan also deals with unutilised accumulated ash (legacy ash) where TPPs will have to utilise it within 10 years from the date of publication of final notification in a staggered manner. • If the utilization of legacy ash is not completed at the end of 10 years, a fine of Rs 1000 per tonne will be

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imposed on the remaining unutilised quantity which has not been fined earlier. • The collected fines will be deposited in the designated account of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). It shall be used towards the safe disposal of the unutilised ash.

149. Project BOLD by KVIC

In news - KVIC launched Project BOLD to boost tribals’ income & Bamboo based economy in Rajasthan.

About Project “Bamboo Oasis on Lands in Drought” (BOLD)- • Project BOLD seeks to create bamboo-based green patches in arid and semi-arid land zones. • It is a unique scientific exercise serving the combined national objectives of reducing desertification and providing livelihood and multi-disciplinary rural industry support has been initiated by Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC). • The initiative has been launched as part of KVIC’s “Khadi Bamboo Festival” to celebrate 75 years of independence “Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav”. • It is the first of its kind exercise in India which was launched from the tribal village NichlaMandwa in Udaipur, Rajasthan. • Under this project, 5000 saplings of special bamboo species – BambusaTulda and BambusaPolymorpha specially brought from Assam – have been planted over 25 bigha (16 acres approx) of vacant arid Gram Panchayat land. • With this, KVIC has thus created a world record of planting the highest number of bamboo saplings on a single day at one location. • KVIC is set to replicate the Project at Village Dholera in Ahmedabad district in Gujarat and Leh-Ladakh region by August, 2021. • Total 15,000 bamboo saplings will be planted before August 21.

Why has Bamboo been selected for this project? • KVIC has judiciously chosen bamboo for developing green patches. • Bamboos grow very fast and in about three years’ time, they could be harvested. • Bamboos are also known for conserving water and reducing evaporation of water from the land surface, which is an important feature in arid and drought-prone regions.

Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC)- • KVIC is a statutory body formed in April 1957 by the Government of India, under the Act of Parliament, 'Khadi and Village Industries Commission Act of 1956'. • It is an apex organisation under the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, with regard to khadi and village industries within India. • Its head office is in Mumbai, whereas its six zonal offices are in Delhi, Bhopal, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Mumbai and Guwahati. • The KVIC is charged with the planning, promotion, organisation and implementation of programs for the development of Khadi and other village industries in the rural areas in coordination with other agencies engaged in rural development wherever necessary.

Its broad objectives are: • The social objective of providing employment. • The economic objective of producing saleable articles.

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• The wider objective of creating self-reliance amongst the poor and building up of a strong rural community spirit.

150. Palm civet sighted in Satkosia tiger reserve

In news- An albino common palm civet (Paradoxurus hermaphrodites) was sighted in Satkosia Tiger Reserve (STR) in Odisha after 129 years. It was last sighted in 1891.

About Palm civet- • The common palm civet is a small mammal belonging to the family Viverridae. • It can be found in Southern and Southeastern Asia. • Their long, stocky body is covered with coarse, shaggy hair that is usually grey in colour. • It is both terrestrial and arboreal, and shows nocturnal activity. • IUCN status- Least Concern • It is listed on CITES Appendix III. • Asian palm civets are claimed to be the carrier that transmitted SARS from horseshoe bats to humans. • It is an omnivore feeding foremost on fruits such as berries and pulpy fruits. • It thus helps to maintain tropical forest ecosystems via seed dispersal. • It also feeds on palm flower sap, which when fermented becomes palm wine, a sweet liquor ("toddy"), hence it is called the toddy cat. • In Indonesia, it is threatened by poaching and illegal wildlife trade for the increasing production of ‘Kopi luwak’, a form of coffee that involves ingestion and excretion of the beans by the animal.

About Satkosia Tiger Reserve- • It is a tiger reserve located in the Angul district of Odisha, India. • Satkosia Tiger Reserve was designated in 2007, and comprises the Satkosia Gorge Wildlife Sanctuary and the adjacent Baisipalli Wildlife Sanctuary. • Mahanadi River passes through it in the Eastern Highlands moist deciduous forests ecoregion. • The major plant communities are mixed deciduous forests including Sal and riverine forest. • Mammals found include the leopard, indian wild dog or the (dhole), wild boars , striped hyena, sloth bear, leopard cat and the jungle cat, Asian elephant, Spotted deer, sambar deer, barking deer and langurs. • The reptiles here include the Mugger Crocodile and Gharials, Indian Python. • The Indian giant squirrel is also found here. • As of April 2021, only one female tiger is found here.

151. Lushai hills dragon snake

In news- The researchers from Mizoram University have discovered a new species of the Stoliczkia genus of snakes.

Key updates- • This is the third species of Stoliczkia from India. • The team has named it Stoliczkia vanhnuailianai, in honour of Vanhnuailiana, a famous Mizo warrior. • The team has given it a common name, ‘Lushai hills dragon snake’ and in the local Mizo language it will be called rulphusin, meaning ‘snake with small scales’. • The snake is about 50 cm in length, non-venomous, and has a dark brown shade above with a few dorsal scale rows bright yellow in colour. 93 www.journalsofindia.com January to July 2021

• The head scales are uniformly dark brown and have bright pinkish sutures. • Though some members of the family Xenodermidae exhibit fluorescence under ultraviolet light, this snake did not exhibit any significant sign of fluorescence. • Its sister species Stoliczkia khasiensis was found more than a century ago in 1904. • The new species is known only from a single specimen at a point locality and further studies are needed to know its distributional range. About Stoliczkia - • It is a genus of snakes in the family Xenodermidae. • The genus contains only two species, one from Northeast India and the other from Borneo. ○ Stoliczkia borneensis (1899) – Borneo red snake ○ Stoliczkia khasiensis Jerdon, (1870) – Khasi earth snake, Khase red snake • The genus is named after Ferdinand Stoliczka, Moravian-born zoologist who later worked for the Geological Survey of India.

152. National Dolphin Research Centre(NDRC)

In news- India's first dolphin research centre, NDRC will begin in Patna.

About the National Dolphin Research Centre (NDRC)- • NDRC is a big step for the conservation of the endangered Gangetic river dolphin. • It is coming up on the 4,400 square metre plot of land on the premises of Patna University, near the banks of the Ganga (200 metres from the Ganga). • Bihar urban development department has recently cleared the construction of NDRC building. • It will be set up by 2022. • NDRC would be beneficial for Project Dolphin. • Montek Singh Ahulwalia, then-deputy chairman of the Planning Commission, had approved the proposal during his visits in mid-2011 to Bihar. What is Project Dolphin? • The project was launched in 2020 for the conservation and protection of the Dolphins in the country. • The Project Dolphin will involve conservation of Dolphins and the aquatic habitat through use of modern technology specially in enumeration and anti-poaching activities. • The project will engage the fishermen and other river/ ocean dependent population and will strive for improving the livelihood of the local communities. • The conservation of dolphins will also envisage activities which will also help in the mitigation of pollution in rivers and in the oceans. • It will be implemented by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.

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Gangetic river dolphin- • It is India’s national aquatic animal. • It is found mainly in the Indian subcontinent, particularly in Ganga-Brahmaputra-Meghna and Karnaphuli- Sangu river systems. • It is a Schedule I animal under the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972. • It has been declared an endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). • The Gangetic river dolphin is one of four freshwater dolphin species in the world. • The other three are found in the Yangtze river in China (now extinct), the Indus river in Pakistan and the Amazon river in South America. • The dolphin is found in India, Bangladesh and Nepal. • In India, these dolphins are sighted in long deep river reaches in Assam, Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. • It is blind and finds its way and prey in river waters through echolocation/using ultrasonic sound waves. • Dolphins prefer water that is at least five to eight feet deep. • They are usually found in turbulent waters, where there are enough fish for them to feed on. • Gangetic dolphins live in a zone where there is little or no current, helping them save energy. If they sense danger, they can dive into deep waters. • As per official figures, there are about 3,700 Gangetic river dolphins in the Indian river systems. • The dolphins act as indicators of healthy river ecosystems. • The Conservation Action Plan for the Ganges River Dolphin 2010-2020, which “identified threats to Gangetic Dolphins and impact of river traffic, irrigation canals and depletion of prey-base on Dolphins populations”.

153. Bryum bharatiensis

In news- Polar biologists at Central University of Punjab have discovered a new native species of moss from continental Antarctica.

More information- • The species is named Bryum bharatiensis as a tribute to the country and India’s Antarctic station, Bharati. • Felix Bast, associate professor and head of the department of Botany, Central University, who was part of Indian Antarctic Mission 2016-17 as an expedition scientist, discovered it on the rocks near Bharati station at Larsemann Hills, East Antarctica. • Studies confirmed it to be a new species of moss discovered for the first time in the world. • Though there have been a number of discoveries of bacterial species in Antarctica, this is the first time a plant species has been discovered in the four decades of the Indian Antarctic mission, which began in 1981. • India’s first Antarctic station, Dakshin Gangotri, was established in 1984 but was abandoned and decommissioned in 1990. • Maitri station was commissioned in 1989 while Bharati station in 2012, both are currently operational and year-round stations. • This is the sixth species discovery from the research group of Felix Bast, all the earlier five were new species of marine seaweeds from Indian coasts. • Though it is not known as how the moss survives under the thick snow during the six months of winter, it is likely that the moss "dries up to a dormant stage, almost to a seed" at this time, and germinates again during summer in September when the region gets sunlight again.

154. Insurance to Himalayan Yak

• In news- National Insurance Company Ltd (NICL) has decided to insure the Himalayan Yak.

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Key updates- • India has around 58,000 yaks, found on the heights of Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Himachal Pradesh, and Ladakh. • This bovine species is susceptible to inclement weather conditions due to climate change, diseases, attacks by wild animals, etc.. • The highlanders living in the harshest of climatic conditions used to incur regular losses due to deaths of the animal. • In 2019 alone, 500 yaks had died in Sikkim due to heavy snowfall. • The National Research Centre on Yak (NRCY), an organisation under the Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR) situated at Dirang in Arunachal Pradesh has been instrumental in securing the insurance policy. • The policy will shield the Yaks against a number of risks posed by weather calamities, diseases, in-transit mishaps, surgical operation, strike or riots and permanent total disability for breeding or stud yaks. • The insurance will be upto 80% of the market price of a yak. • The benefit of subsidy under the policy is restricted to five animals per beneficiary per household. • However, a beneficiary may insure more than five animals by paying the full premium without availing of the benefit of the subsidy.

155. Lemru Elephant Reserve

In news- State government of Chhattisgarh has proposed to reduce the area of Lemru elephant reserve.

About Lemru Elephant reserve- • It is located in Korba district of Chhattisgarh. • The proposal for the Lemru Elephant reserve was passed unanimously by the Assembly in 2005 and got central approval in 2007 with an area of 450 sq km. • The state government notified the reserve(as a conservation reserve) under Section 36A of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972. • Elephant reserves are not recognised under the WLPA. • The state Forest and Environment Department has proposed to decrease the area of the proposed reserve from 1,995 sq km to 450 sq km. • Lemru is one of two elephant reserves planned to prevent human-animal conflict in the region, with elephants moving into Chhattisgarh from Odisha and Jharkhand. • North Chhattisgarh alone is home to over 240 elephants and more than 150 elephants have died in the state over the last 20 years, including 16 between June and October 2020. • As per letter of the then Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) the reserve is part of an elephant corridor that connects Lemru (Korba), Badalkhol (Jashpur), Tamorpingla (Surguja). • Badalkhol-Tamorpingla is also an elephant reserve in the state.

Why is the state government planning to reduce the area of reserve? • The area proposed under the reserve is part of the Hasdeo Aranya forests, a very diverse biozone that is also rich in coal deposits. • Of 22 coal blocks in the area, seven have already been allotted with mines running in three, and in the process of being established in the other four. • As per the forest officials, the biggest challenge in increasing the reserve area was that several coal mines would become unusable.

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Elephant Reserves in India- • There are 32 notified Elephant Reserves (ERs) in the country spread over 15 states. • The Indian elephant Elephas maximus occurs in the central and southern Western Ghats, North-east India, eastern Indian and northern India and in some parts of southern peninsular India. • It is included in Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 and in Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Flora and Fauna (CITES). • It is listed as Endangered in the IUCN list.

Various initiatives for Conservation of elephants in India- • Project Elephant-1992 • The Elephant Task Force Report, 2010 “Gajah” • Gaj Yatra campaign-2017

156. 'Re-wilding’ of wild animals

In news- Periyar Tiger Reserve (PTR) recently reintroduced into the wild an abandoned nine-month-old tiger cub named Mangala after rearing it in ‘captivity’ for two years.

Key updates- • Rewilding refers to reintroducing lost animal species to natural environments. • It is a conservation strategy aimed at restoring natural processes and wilderness areas, providing connectivity between such areas (corridors), and reintroducing large herbivores, predators and/or keystone species. • It was first academically defined in 1998 by American conservation biologists Michael Soule and Reed Noss. • As per the Standard Operating Procedures laid down by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) under The Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, there are three ways to deal with orphaned or abandoned tiger cubs. ○ To make an effort to reunite the abandoned cubs with their mother. ○ If a reunion of the cub with its mother is not possible, then shift the cub to a suitable zoo. ○ Release the cub into the wild after a certain time when it appears that the cub is capable of surviving in the wild independently. • NTCA stresses that the tiger cub should be reared in an in situ enclosure for a minimum of two years, and during this time, each cub should have a successful record of at least 50 ‘kills’. • At the time of releasing the cub in the wild, they should be in prime health, and of dispersing age (three/four years). • There should be no abnormality/incapacitation. Previous attempts at re-wilding of carnivores in India- • Three leopards - a male named Prince and two females, Harriet and Juliette and a Siberian tigress cub named Tara were reintroduced in Dudhwa forest area in the 1970s. • The rewilding in Panna Tiger Reserve of two abandoned tigress cubs, named T4 and T5, that were brought up at Kanha Tiger Reserve, is considered to be a success in tiger conservation. • In March 2021, a three-year-old tigress, PTRF-84, the daughter of the ‘man-eater’ tigress T1, was released in the Pench Tiger Reserve after two years of a rewilding programme. • Just eight days after being released, PTRF-84 died of injuries sustained during a territorial clash in the jungle. Rewilding is not limited to cats. The Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) in collaboration with the Haryana Forest and Wildlife Department has been running a vulture conservation centre named ‘Jatayu’ near Pinjore for the last 17 years. An Elephant Rehabilitation Centre (ERC) has been running in Yamunanagar, Haryana. 97 www.journalsofindia.com January to July 2021

157. Tiny gecko species discovered in Odisha

In news- Odisha's forest officials have announced measures to preserve the newly discovered tiny gecko species of the genus Hemiphyllodactylus.

Key updates- • The species, which grows up to 6 centimetres in length, was first spotted within the premises of a temple at Humma in Ganjam district in 2014. • Scientists studied the species till 2017 and made 612 observations during the period, with a maximum of 22 sightings in each. • The team traced its habitat to Jhadeswar sacred grove. • It is found only in mango trees surrounding the temple and was never found on concrete walls or below rock boulders unlike other members of the genus. • Their population in the area is over 100. • They feed on ants, termites, small roaches, spiders and beetles. • The new species is the seventh Indian species of the genus, the second from the northern Eastern Ghats and 41st globally. • It is the first non-island species of the genus which is distributed in lowland habitats.

158. European Green Deal

In news- European Green Deal has been endorsed by the European Parliament recently.

Background- As part of its ‘Fit for 55’ package, the European Commission proposed a dozen climate policies, each with the ambition to curtail greenhouse gases, in line with the goals stated in the European green deal program.

About European Green Deal- • The deal aims to cut carbon emissions, achieve economic growth not tied to resource use and ensure no one is left behind. • It was launched in December 2019. • The idea behind the green deal is to change how energy is produced and consumed in the EU. • Going by the targets set in the green deal the EU plans to cut greenhouse gas emissions by at least 50% compared to the 1990 levels by 2030 and become climate neutral by 2050. • The European Green Deal, presented in the communication of 11 December 2019, sets out a detailed vision to make Europe the first climate-neutral continent by 2050 • It intends to safeguard biodiversity, establish a circular economy and eliminate pollution, while boosting the competitiveness of European industry and ensuring a just transition for the regions and workers affected.

Focus areas of the deal- • It focuses on eight policy areas: biodiversity, sustainable food systems, sustainable agriculture, clean energy, sustainable industry, building and renovating, sustainable mobility, eliminating pollution and climate action. • The deal represents an unprecedented effort to review more than 50 European laws and redesign public policies. Goals-

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• The deal aims to achieve three main goals. Goal-1: • It focuses on achieving net-zero emissions by proposing specific strategies that can help curb emissions across all sectors, with a strong focus on energy, which makes up more than 75% of total EU-27’s greenhouses gas. • The objective is to increase the share of renewable energy in the EU’s energy mix. Goal-2: • It plans to decouple growth from resource exploitation. • Described as a “generation-defining task,” achieving this objective will not only require a boost in technological advancements but also rethinking lifestyles, communities, and societies. Goal-3: • The need to foster an inclusive green transition and to leave none behind, supported through the Just Transition Mechanism, which will provide between 65€ and 75€ billion over the period of 2021-2027 to alleviate the socio-economic impacts of the transition. The European Commission has envisaged the need for 1 trillion euros of investments, with half coming from the EU budget and EU Emission Trading Scheme and half from Invest EU.

Fit for 55- • The revisions and initiatives linked to the European Green Deal climate actions and in particular the climate target plan's 55 % net reduction target are presented under the Fit for 55 package. • The “Fit for 55” package includes new policies and regulations. • It was launched in July 2021. • European Commission adopted this package of proposals to make the EU's climate, energy, land use, transport and taxation policies fit for reducing net greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030, compared to 1990 levels. • It covers areas including renewables, energy efficiency, building, land use and emissions trading schemes. • It is expected to define new targets for the EU energy mix by 2030 and make the directive legally binding to achieve 32.5% energy savings by 2030.

159. Commission for Air Quality Management in the National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas Bill, 2021

In news- A bill related to the Commission for air quality management will be tabled in the Parliament during the Monsoon Season by the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEF). In April 2021, the Union government promulgated the corresponding ordinance and issued a notification to constitute the commission.

Key provisions of the bill- • This bill replaces the ordinance proposed by the government in April 2021. • It has decriminalised the act of stubble burning and withdrawn the clause for possible jail time. • It proposed to levy environmental compensation fees on those who are found to be engaged in stubble burning, including farmers. • The proposed commission will replace the Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority or EPCA. • The Commission will consist of: ○ A Chairperson. ○ An officer of the rank of a Joint Secretary as the member-secretary and Chief Coordinating Officer. ○ A currently serving or former Joint Secretary from the central government as a full-time member.

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○ Three independent technical members with expertise related to air pollution, and ○ Three members from non-government organisations. • The Commission will also include ex-officio members from the central government and concerned state governments, and Technical members from CPCB, Indian Space Research Organisation, and NITI Aayog. It may also appoint representatives of certain ministries. • The Chairperson and members of the Commission will have a tenure of three years or till the age of seventy years, whichever is earlier. • The Selection Committee will be constituted by the central government for recommending appointments of members of the Commission. • The committee will be headed by the Minister in charge of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. • Members of the Committee will include the Ministers in charge: Commerce and Industry, Road Transport and Highways, Science and Technology, and the Cabinet Secretary.

Functions of the Commission- • Coordinating actions taken under the Ordinance by concerned state governments (Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh). • Planning and executing plans to prevent and control air pollution in the NCR. • Providing a framework for identification of air pollutants. • Conducting research and development through networking with technical institutions • Training and creating a special workforce to deal with issues related to air pollution, and • Preparing various action plans such as increasing plantation and addressing stubble burning. • Laying down parameters for control of air pollution, clean air as well as plan and execute programmes for pollution control in the region.

Powers of the Commission: • Restricting activities influencing air quality • Investigating and conducting research related to environmental pollution impacting air quality. • Preparing codes and guidelines to prevent and control air pollution • Issuing directions on matters including inspections, or regulation which will be binding on the concerned person or authority. • It will also be in charge of identifying violators, monitoring factories and industries and any other polluting unit in the region, and will have the powers to shut down such units. • It will have the powers to overrule directives issued by the state governments in the region, that may be in violation of pollution norms. • It may impose and collect environmental compensation from farmers causing pollution by stubble burning. • In case of any conflict, the orders or directions of the Commission will prevail over the orders of the respective state governments, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), state PCBs, and state-level statutory bodies.

Penalties: • Contravention of orders and directions of the Commission will be punishable with imprisonment of up to five years, or fine of up to one crore rupees, or both. • All appeals against the Commission’s orders will be heard by the National Green Tribunal.

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160. Swiss Alps landscape altered by climate change

In news- According to a recent study, climate change has dramatically altered the Swiss Alp landscape where melting glaciers have created over 1000 lakes.

Key highlights of the study- • The study was published by the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag). • The inventory of Swiss Glacial lakes showed that almost 1,200 new lakes have formed in formerly glaciated regions of the Swiss Alps since the end of the Little Ice Age around 1850 and many of those lakes still exist today. • It says that glaciers in the Swiss Alps are in steady decline, losing a full 2% of their volume last year alone. • According to a 2019 study by the ETH technical university, even if the world were to fully implement the 2015 Paris Agreement two-thirds of the Alpine glaciers will likely be lost.

About Swiss Alps- • The Alpine region of Switzerland is conventionally referred to as the Swiss Alps. • They are situated south of the Swiss Plateau and north of the national border. • The Swiss Alps extend over both the Western Alps and the Eastern Alps, encompassing an area sometimes called Central Alps. • While the northern ranges from the Bernese Alps to the Appenzell Alps are entirely in Switzerland, the southern ranges from the Mont Blanc massif to the Bernina massif are shared with other countries such as France, Italy, Austria and Liechtenstein. • The north side of the Swiss Alps is drained by the Rhone, Rhine and Inn rivers, while the south side is mainly drained by the river Ticino. • The rivers on the north empty into the Mediterranean, North and Black Sea, on the south empty in the Adriatic Sea. • The Swiss Alps comprise almost all the highest mountains of the Alps- Dufourspitze, the Dom, the Liskamm, the Weisshorn and the Matterhorn

161. Open 'DEAL' initiative of Africa

In news- Africa has become the first continent in the world to complete the gathering of accurate, comprehensive, and harmonized digital land use and land use change data.

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About Open DEAL project- • DEAL stands for Data for the Environment, Agriculture and Land Initiative. • This initiative is led by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the African Union Commission (AUC). • The initiative that covered the period between 2018 and 2020, disclosed more forests and arable lands than were previously detected. • The survey covered 100 parameters on each sampling point of about 0.5 hectares and included tree counts, farmlands, wildfires and existing infrastructure. • The data was analysed to highlight land use change over the past 20 years and the potential for restoration at the national level for every country in the African continent. • The initiative revealed that 350 million hectares of cropland are cultivated in Africa. • This is an increase by 25 per cent over the crop land in the continent. • A free and open source software called Collect Earth, developed by FAO, was used to collect data through Google Earth. • It is part of the set of tools called Open Foris and was developed in 2017 in collaboration with Google Earth, Bing Maps and Google Earth Engine.

162. Great Indian Bustard

In news- The Central government recently informed the Rajya Sabha that there were no Great Indian Bustards (GIB) in Kutch Bustard Sanctuary (KBS) in Gujarat as on January 1, 2021.

About Great Indian Bustard- • GIBs are the largest among the four bustard species found in India - the other three being MacQueen’s bustard, lesser florican and the Bengal florican. • GIBs prefer grasslands as their habitats. • Being terrestrial birds, they spend most of their time on the ground with occasional flights to go from one part of their habitat to the other. • They feed on insects, lizards, grass seeds etc. • GIBs are considered the flagship bird species of grassland and hence barometers of the health of grassland ecosystems. • In February 2020, the Central government told at the 13th Conference of Parties to the United Nations Convention on Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) that the GIB population in India had fallen to just 150. • Maximum numbers of GIBs are found in Jaisalmer and the Indian Army controlled field firing range near Pokhran, Rajasthan. • Other areas where they are found in less than 10 in number are Kutch district in Gujarat, Nagpur and Solapur districts in Maharashtra, Bellary and Koppal districts in Karnataka and Kurnool district and Amravati in Andhra Pradesh. • Pakistan is also believed to host a few GIBs. • The GIB lays one egg every 1-2 years and the success rate of these eggs is 40-50 % due to predators like foxes and dogs. • The IUCN has categorised GIBs as critically endangered.

Protected areas: • Desert National Park Sanctuary in Rajasthan • Rollapadu Wildlife Sanctuary in Andhra Pradesh

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• Karera Wildlife Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh

Threats: • Collision/electrocution with power transmission lines - due to their poor frontal vision, the bustards can’t detect power lines in time and their weight make in-flight quick manoeuvres difficult. • Irrigation and farming technology • Mining • Wind turbines and Solar farms (photovoltaic power stations) • Plantation of exotic shrub/tree species in deserts and grasslands in the name of afforestation

The government has started a project, titled ‘Habitat Improvement and Conservation Breeding of Great Indian Bustard-An Integrated Approach’, for five years from the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) for conservation and breeding of the GIB. In 2015, the Central government launched the GIB species recovery programme under which the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) and Rajasthan forest department have jointly set up conservation breeding centres where GIB eggs harvested from the wild are incubated artificially and hatchlings are raised in controlled environments.

163. Pollution of river Ganga by microplastics

In news- According to a new study, microplastics concentration in Ganga is higher than any other major world river. The study is based on an analysis of the stretches of the river Ganga by Delhi-based environment NGO Toxics Link.

Key findings of the study- • It has revealed that the highest concentration of such plastic was found at Varanasi, comprising single-use and secondary plastic products. • The water testing was carried out in collaboration with the National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) in Goa. • The results show the presence of at least 40 different kinds of polymers as microplastics. • The shapes and nature of the observed resins ranged from fibres to fragments, films and beads, with fragments being the predominant shape in all locations. • Microbeads were observed in Varanasi and Kanpur, while no beads were found in Haridwar. • The most frequent size range observed in all the samples was <300µm. • Microplastics entered the Ganga through industrial waste or packaging of religious offerings, tanneries. • The density of population in the three cities also added to the problem because a large chunk of pollutants got directly discharged into the river by people living on the banks. • Varanasi showed the maximum load of microplastics in the water of the Ganga, as compared to the other two cities. • Assi Ghat in Varanasi had the maximum abundance of microplastics. • The Dohri ghat in Kanpur ranked top most among all 15 sites (five each from all three cities) from where the river water sample was collected.

Types of microplastics present in Ganga- • The study also did an analysis of the types of microplastics present in the Ganga. • Ethylene Vinyl is particularly suited for food, drugs and cosmetic packaging. • Polyacetylene is used as a doping agent in the electronics industry. • Polypropylene is also used in packaging, plastic sheets, fibre, fabrics, rope, etc. • PIP is mainly used in footwear and baby bottles.

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• Polyamide, commonly known as nylon, is used as a natural fibre and as metal wires in clothing and industry. • All these and 36 other types were found in the samples. • Study recommended the strengthening of implementation of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) in Plastic Waste Management Rules since a lot of pollution in the Ganga was due to industrial waste. What are microplastics? • Microplastics are plastics that are synthetic solid particles sized ranging 1 micrometre (μm) to 5 millimetre (mm), which are insoluble in water. • Microbeads are tiny pieces of polyethylene plastic added to health and beauty products, such as some cleansers and toothpastes. • Untreated sewage from many cities along the river’s course, industrial waste and religious offerings wrapped in non-degradable plastics pile pollutants into the river. • The plastic products and waste materials released or dumped in the river break down and are eventually broken down into microparticles. • Previous studies say that over 663 marine species are affected adversely due to marine debris and 11% of them are said to be related to microplastic ingestion alone. • Not only are these microplastics toxic themselves, they also have a tendency to absorb various toxins present in water, including harmful chemicals.

The National Institute of Oceanography (NIO)- • CSIR-NIO was established on 1 January 1966 following the International Indian Ocean Expedition (IIOE) in the 1960s. • It is one of the 37 constituent laboratories of the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR), New Delhi. • NIO has its headquarters at Dona Paula, Goa, and regional centres at Kochi, Mumbai and Visakhapatnam. • The principal focus of research has been on observing and understanding special oceanographic characteristics of the Indian Ocean.

164. Chrysilla volupe spider

In news- Recently a pair of Chrysilla volupe spiders, was recently spotted at Puttenahalli lake, Bengaluru.

Key updates- • The Chrysilla volupe was believed to be extinct for 150 years, until it was discovered at the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary (WWS) in 2018. • The spider belongs to the family of jumping spiders (Salticidae). • Male spiders have a carapace in reddish orange colour with two iridescent blue stripes. • Females have a greyish carapace with grey eyebrows with all legs yellow in colour. • It is found in Sri Lanka, India, Nepal, and Bhutan. • The species was first described by Karsch in 1879. • The female was described 139 years after the males had been identified and described, that is in 2018.

165. Gross Environment Product (GEP) of Uttarakhand

In news- The government of Uttarakhand recently declared that it will begin valuation of its natural resources in the form of "Gross Environment Product" (GEP), similar to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

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Gross Environment Product(GEP) & ecosystem services (ES)- • GEP is the measure of ecosystem services of any area. • GEP measures the total annual value of goods and services delivered by ecosystems (forests, water bodies, oceans, and so on) to people in a certain region, such as at the district, state, and national levels.

GEP accounting methods-

• The term “ecosystem services” was coined in 1981 to attract academics towards this aspect. • American ecological economist Robert Costanza contributed several publications defining and elaborating aspects of ecosystem services. • In 1997, a group of economists and ecologists led by Costanza showed that at global level the value of ES is about twice as much as the global GDP. • In this direction, the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment was called for by the United Nations Secretary, General Kofi Annan, in 2000. • Ecosystems that can be measured include natural ecosystems such as forests, grassland, wetland, desert, freshwater and ocean, and artificial systems that are based on natural processes like farmland, pastures, aquaculture farms and urban green land, etc.

Why is Uttarakadh opting for GEP? • Uttarakhand’s forests give services worth Rs 9,5112 crores annually. • Forests in the state generate Rs 300 crore worth of employment.

IUCN-Gross Ecosystem Product (GEP)- • GEP is the total value of final ecosystem goods and services supplied to human well-being in a region annually, and can be measured in terms of biophysical value and monetary value. • It provides powerful scientific support and future indicators for ecological civilization construction. • IUCN is currently carrying out pilot research projects on GEP with partners. • Its objective is to quantify the linkages between ecosystems and human well-being so as to assist in the development of sustainable management and governance of ecosystems.

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166. Earth Overshoot Day, 2021

In news- The Earth Overshoot day fell on July 29, this year. It is the same date that the world reached overshoot in 2019.

About Earth Overshoot Day- • It marks the date when humanity’s demand for ecological resources and services in a given year exceeds what Earth can regenerate in that year. • Previously it was known as Ecological Debt Day. • For the rest of the year, society operates in ecological overshoot by drawing down local resource stocks and accumulating carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. • The first Earth Overshoot Day was December 19, 1987. • It is hosted and calculated by Global Footprint Network, an international research organization. • It calculates the number of days of that year that Earth’s biocapacity suffices to provide for humanity’s Ecological Footprint. • The remainder of the year corresponds to global overshoot. • (Earth’s Biocapacity / Humanity’s Ecological Footprint) x 365 = Earth Overshoot Day, where the Biocapacity is the amount of ecological resources Earth is able to generate that year and humanity’s Ecological Footprint is humanity’s demand for that year. In 2020 it was observed on August 22.

Global Footprint Network- • It is an independent think tank originally based in the United States, Belgium and Switzerland. • It was founded in 2003 as a charitable not-for-profit organization in each of those three countries. • The organization is headquartered in Oakland, California. • It develops and promotes tools for advancing sustainability, including the ecological footprint and biocapacity. • Its goal is to create a future where all humans can live well, within the means of one planet Earth. • The Network brings together over 70 partner organizations. • Every year, it produces a new edition of its National Footprint and Biocapacity Accounts, which calculate Ecological Footprint and biocapacity of more than 200 countries and territories from 1961 to the present.

167. India's Tiger Reserves get Global CA/TS recognition for good Tiger Conservation

In news- The 14 Tiger Reserves in India received the accreditation of the Global Conservation Assured|Tiger Standards (CA|TS).

• CA|TS has been agreed upon as an accreditation tool by the global coalition of Tiger Range Countries (TRCs) and has been developed by tiger and protected area experts. • Officially it was launched in 2013. • CA|TS is a set of criteria which allows tiger sites to check if their management will lead to successful tiger conservation. • It sets minimum standards for effective management of target species and encourages assessment of these standards in relevant conservation areas. • It is being implemented across 125 sites, including 94 in India, in seven tiger range countries. • The aspects monitored for accreditation include the importance and status of a reserve, management, community participation, tourism, protection, habitat management, and tiger populations.

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• The accreditation has been granted to 14 reserves in India, one each in Nepal, Bhutan, and Russia. • The 14 reserves are Manas, Kaziranga, and Orang (Assam); Sundarbans (West Bengal); Valmiki (Bihar); Dudhwa (Uttar Pradesh); Panna, Kanha, Satpuda and Pench (Madhya Pradesh); Anamalai and Mudumalai (Tamil Nadu); Parambikulam (Kerala) and Bandipur (Karnataka). • The Global Tiger Forum (GTF), an international NGO working on tiger conservation, and World Wildlife Fund India are the two implementing partners of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) for CATS assessment in India. International Tiger Day- • It is celebrated on July 29 every year to generate awareness regarding the dwindling population of the species. • 2022, which happens to be Chinese year of the Tiger, has been marked as the year when WWF aims to help double the number of wild tigers to over 6,000. India is home to 51 tiger reserves spread across 18 states. India achieved the target of doubling the tiger population 4 years ahead of schedule of the St. Petersburg Declaration on tiger Conservation. In 2010, India had 1,706 tigers. They more than doubled to 2,967 by 2018, according to the Tiger Census.

168. DNA profiling of leopards in Odisha

In news- Wildlife organisation of Odisha’s Forest and Environment Department has decided to do DNA profiling of the leopards in the state.

Key updates- • The Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) profiles of the leopards will be rolled out for the first time in Odisha in collaboration with the Centre for Wildlife Health (CWH) of the Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT), Bhubaneswar. • The forest areas where leopards are spotted will be identified as part of the exercise. • Samples of their faeces and pug marks will be recorded and will then be sent to the CWH for DNA profiling. • The exercise will help ascertain and trace the origin in case of deaths of the leopards, after the skin and other organs from poachers and traders are seized. About the Indian Leopard- • It is one of the big cats occurring on the Indian subcontinent, apart from the Asiatic lion, Bengal tiger, snow leopard and clouded leopard. • IUCN status- Vulnerable • It has strong legs and a long well-formed tail, broad muzzle, short ears and small, yellowish grey eyes, light grey ocular bulbs. • Its coat is spotted and rosetted on a pale yellow to yellowish-brown or golden background. • The pattern of the rosettes is unique to each individual. • The Indian leopard is distributed in India, Nepal, Bhutan and parts of Pakistan. • Though Bangladesh has no viable leopard population, there are occasional sightings in the forests of Sylhet, Chittagong Hill Tracts and Cox's Bazar. • It inhabits tropical rainforests, dry deciduous forests, temperate forests and northern coniferous forests but does not occur in the mangrove forests of the Sundarbans. • India’s official leopard count increased 63 per cent from 2014-2018. • As of 2020, the leopard population within forested habitats in India's tiger range landscapes is estimated at 12,172 to 13,535 individuals.

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