07/12/2025
Basic education
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07/12/2025
Basic education
दुःख - जीवन दुखमय या असंतोषजनक है
UPSC and UPPSC and life
QuickRevisionSeries
चक्रवात के अन्य नाम
◾️ हिंद महासागर - चक्रवात
◾️ कैरेबियन सागर - हरिकेन
◾️ चीन सागर -टाइफून
◾️ जापान -टाइफु
◾️ उत्तरी ऑस्ट्रेलिया -विली विली
◾️ फिलीपींस - बागुइओ
◾️.
■ Kerala Tops National Evaluation of Protected Areas for 2020–2025 -
● Why in News?
✅ The Management Effectiveness Evaluation (MEE) 2020–2025 report released by the Union Environment Ministry has declared Kerala as the best-managed state for its National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries.
● Key Highlights:
✅ Kerala scored 76.22%, the only state rated as "Very Good" in the evaluation.
✅ Other top-performing states:
✅Karnataka – 74.24%
✅Punjab – 71.74%
✅Himachal Pradesh – 71.36%
✅ Top scoring Protected Areas:
✅Eravikulam National Park (Kerala) – 92.97%
✅Dachigam National Park (Jammu & Kashmir) – 92.97%
✅Mathikettan Shola National Park (Kerala) – 90.63%
● Important Protected Areas in Kerala:
✅ Eravikulam National Park (97 sq. km)
✅Home to the Nilgiri Tahr, a critically endangered species.
✅Features a rare Shola-grassland biome of the Western Ghats.
✅Hosts the Neelakurinji flower, which blooms once every 12 years.
✅Part of the UNESCO World Heritage Western Ghats serial sites.
✅ Mathikettan Shola National Park (12.82 sq. km)
✅Serves as an elephant corridor.
✅Only known habitat of the rare Galaxy Frog.
✅Identified need for systematic ecological monitoring.
● What is the Management Effectiveness Evaluation (MEE)?
✅ A comprehensive assessment framework used globally and in India.
✅ Evaluates performance and management of Protected Areas (PAs) over time.
✅ Key factors considered:
• Biodiversity conservation
• Habitat quality
• Community involvement
• Infrastructure
• Adaptive management
✅ In this MEE cycle (2020–2025), a total of 438 National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries were evaluated.
● Union Territory Performance:
✅ Top-performing UT: Chandigarh – 85.16%
✅ Lowest-performing UT: Ladakh – 34.9% (Rated “Poor”)
● Recommendations for Kerala’s Protected Areas:
✅ Expand areas by adding adjoining regions (e.g., Kottayam Division to Eravikulam).
✅ Enhance eco-tourism infrastructure.
✅ Remove exotic and invasive species.
✅ Collaborate with scientific institutions, NGOs, and local communities.
● Conclusion:
✅ Kerala has emerged as the best-managed state in terms of National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries.
✅ Its consistent and effective efforts across 21 protected areas have earned it this top recognition.
SOURCE - THE HINDU
■ Elusive Return: Asiatic Wild Dog Spotted Again in Kaziranga Landscape -
● Why in News:
✅ A new scientific study (June 2025) confirms first photographic evidence of the dhole in years in Kaziranga-Karbi Anglong Landscape (KKAL), Assam.
● Significance:
✅ Study conducted by Mujahid Ahamad, Jyotish Ranjan Deka, Priyanka Borah, Umar Saeed, Ruchi Badola, and Syed Ainul Hussain from Wildlife Institute of India (WII).
✅ Dhole was recorded in the Amauri animal corridor of KKAL.
✅ Camera traps captured six sightings of a single dhole, just 375 metres from NH-37 and 270 metres from the nearest human habitation.
● Corridors Studied in KKAL:
✅ Panbari
✅ Haldhibari
✅ Kanchanjuri
✅ Amguri
● Ecological Importance:
✅ Dholes are indicators of healthy forest ecosystems and highly sensitive to habitat disturbances.
✅ Their return highlights the critical role of animal corridors for both well-known species like tigers and elephants and lesser-known species.
● Static and Background Information:
✅ Scientific Name: Cuon alpinus
✅ IUCN Status: Endangered
✅ Behavior: Social carnivores, form packs up to 30; capable of solo hunting.
✅ Current Distribution: India, Nepal, Bhutan, China, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia.
✅ Historical Range Loss: Now confined to less than 25% of their former range.
✅ Major Threats:
● Habitat loss and fragmentation:
✅Prey depletion
✅Retaliatory killings
● Conservation Implications:
✅ Rediscovery acts as a “flagship conservation alert.”
✅ Forest corridors like Amguri are essential for gene flow, species movement, and recovery.
✅ Emphasizes urgent need for corridor protection, ecological restoration, and consistent monitoring.
● Conclusion:
✅ This rare sighting revives hope for dhole survival in northeastern India and reinforces the need to safeguard lesser-known species and their habitats.
SOURCE - THE HINDU
■ Secondary Pollutants: A Major Contributor to PM2.5 Pollution -
✅A new CREA report finds secondary pollutants—especially ammonium sulphate—are responsible for nearly one-third of PM2.5 pollution in India.
● What Are Primary Air Pollutants?
✅Primary pollutants are directly released into the atmosphere from specific sources.
✅ Sources include vehicles, thermal power plants, industries, and biomass burning.
✅ Natural events like dust storms also contribute.
● Examples:
✅Carbon Monoxide (CO) – from incomplete combustion.
✅Sulphur Dioxide (SO₂) – mainly from coal-fired power plants.
✅Nitrogen Oxides (NOₓ) – from high-temperature combustion.
✅Particulate Matter (PM) – includes dust, soot, smoke.
✅Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) – from fuel vapors and chemicals.
✅ These are harmful and traceable to their origin.
● Understanding Secondary Air Pollutants:
✅Secondary pollutants form in the atmosphere through chemical reactions involving primary pollutants.
✅ Influenced by weather, sunlight, and humidity.
● Examples:
✅Ammonium sulphate & nitrate – formed from SO₂/NOₓ reacting with ammonia.
✅Ground-level ozone (O₃) – formed from NOₓ and VOCs under sunlight.
✅Acid rain – results from SO₂/NOₓ converting to acids.
✅Photochemical smog – a mix of secondary pollutants in cities.
✅ Secondary pollutants persist longer and cover wider areas, increasing health risks.
● Key Insights from the CREA Study:
✅Ammonium sulphate forms 34% of India’s PM2.5, averaging 11.9 µg/m³.
✅ It is mainly produced when SO₂ from coal plants reacts with ammonia from fertilizers and waste.
✅ Only 8% of coal plants in India have installed FGD systems despite regulations.
✅ Areas within 10 km of coal plants have 2.5× higher ammonium sulphate levels.
✅ In 130 NCAP cities, secondary pollutants contribute 20–43% of PM2.5.
✅ In 114 cities, secondary pollutants account for over 30% of PM2.5.
✅ Other compounds like ammonium nitrate raise secondary PM2.5 contributions up to 50% in some locations.
● Recommendations:
✅Urgent implementation of control measures is necessary.
✅ Rapid deployment of Flue Gas Desulphurisation (FGD) technology in coal plants.
✅ Reforms in fertilizer application practices.
✅ Strong enforcement of air pollution control regulations.
SOURCE - THE HINDU
■ Discovery of a New Flowering Plant in Arunachal Pradesh -
✅ A new species of flowering plant, Begonia nyishiorum, was recently discovered in Arunachal Pradesh's East Kameng district.
✅ The species is named in honor of the Nyishi tribe, acknowledging their strong ecological connection with the region.
● Unique Features of Begonia nyishiorum:
✅ It is noted for its crimson, fringed scales (indumentum) on light green leaf stalks – a rare trait among Asian begonias.
✅ Grows on damp, shaded hillsides at altitudes between 1,500 and 3,000 meters above sea level.
✅ Found only in two forest locations, making it potentially vulnerable to environmental threats.
✅ Highlights the importance of targeted conservation efforts.
✅ Officially described in June 2025 in Novon, the journal of the Missouri Botanical Garden.
✅ Its discovery emphasizes the rich, yet underexplored, plant biodiversity of Arunachal Pradesh.
● Significance of the Name "nyishiorum"
✅ The name honors the Nyishi tribe, who are known for sustainably managing and protecting forest resources.
● The Nyishi Tribe:
✅ Largest Ethnic Group in Arunachal Pradesh:
The Nyishi are the most populous ethnic group in the state, with around 3 lakh (300,000) people.
✅ Meaning and Language:
"Nyishi" combines "Nyi" (man) and "Shi" (being), meaning "civilized human."
✅ Their language is part of the Sino-Tibetan family, though its exact classification is debated.
✅ Habitat and Distribution:
The Nyishi people inhabit eight districts in Arunachal Pradesh, including East Kameng, Papum Pare, and Kurung Kumey, as well as parts of Assam.
✅ Economic and Cultural Life:
Their lifestyle centers on shifting (slash-and-burn) agriculture, along with hunting, fishing, handicrafts (bamboo, cane), and weaving.
✅ Key festivals:
✅Boori-Boot (February): for community harmony
✅Nyokum (February): for agricultural prosperity
✅Longte (April): for spiritual protection
✅ Social Organization and Gender Roles:
Nyishi society follows patrilineal and clan-based structures, without caste distinctions or rigid social hierarchies.
✅ Women are seen as symbols of peace and prosperity; marriages involve mutual exchanges that foster familial and communal ties.
SOURCE - NEW INDIAN EXPRESS
■ Kerala Seeks Wildlife Law Amendment to Manage Human-Wildlife Conflict -
✅Kerala has approached the Union government seeking amnendments to the Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972, aiming to legally permit the selective killing of wild animals that pose a direct threat to human life or property.
✅Wildlife attacks have become a significant issue in the state, w
273 out of 94] village panchayas
identified as conflict hotspots. Problematic species include tigers, leopards, elephants, bison, wild boars, bonnet macaques, and Peafowls.
✅Although some, like bonnet
macaques and peafowls, are not
directly dangerous, they frecquently damage crops, prompting farmers to abandon cultivation.
● Human Casualties and Impact:
✅Between 2016-17 and January 31 2024, wildlife attacks in Kerala resulted in 919 human deaths and injuries to 8,967 individuals. This rising toll has intensified public pressure on the state to find practical solutions.
✅In addition to human casualties, agricultural losses due to wild animal raids have affected rural livelihoods.
● Causes Behind the Conflict:
✅Multiple ecological and
anthropogenic factors have
contributed to increased
human-wildlife encounters.
✅These include habitat degradation, population growth among certain wildlife species like monkeys and wild pigs, deforestation, changes in cropping patterns, and the
Encroachment of domestic cattle into forest areas. These dynamics force animals to stray into huan settlemnents in search of food.
● Legal Constraints Under the Current Act:
✅The Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 particularly its provisions related to animals under Schedule l, poses challenges in responding quickly to conflict situations. Under the law, animals that threaten human
life can only be killed if it is proven that they cannot be captured, tranguilized, or relocated. Such animals also cannot be confin after capture.
✅Additionally, authorities must
adhere to advisories from the
National Tiger Conservation
Authority and Project Elephant
Scheme. Although district
collectors can order the removal
of public nuisances, court
directives have restricted their
powers in the context of wild
animals.
● Kerala's Proposal for Legal Flexibility:
✅Kerala's Forest Minister
emphasized that the state is not
advocating for indiscriminate
killing of wild animals. Instead,
it seeks limited, region- and
season-specific permissions to
Cull animals that pose serious
threats.
✅He cited the failure of preventive measures such as fencing and the ineffectiveness of the current wild boar control system, which requires impractical checks like verifying pregnancy status before culling. The minister argued that such constraints hinder timely and effective action against crop-raiding and dangerous
animals.
● Demand for Reclassification of Certain Species:
✅The state is urging the Centre to declare wild boars as 'vermin'
under Section 62 of the Wildlife Act for a limited duration, allowing for easier control of their population.
✅Additionally, Kerala wants the
bonnet macaque removed
from Schedule | of the Act. This
monkey species was upgraded
to Schedule I in 2022, limiting the state's ability to respond to its growing nuisance. Prior to this change, the chief wildlife warden could independently authorize the capture and relocation of aggressive macaques.
● Conclusion:
✅Kerala's demand for amending the Wildlife Protection Act reflects a growing tension between wildlife conservation and human safe.
✅While conservation remains vital the state argues for practical region-specific legal provisions that enable it to act decisively in situations where human life and Livelihoods are endangered.
SOURCE - THE HINDU
03/07/2025
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