UPSC Prelims News 22 October 2022

UPSC Prelims News of 22 October 2022

Great Indian Bustard

Context: Three Great Indian Bustards (GIBs) have been spotted in Pakistan’s Cholistan desert.

More on the News:

• There is a speculation that these birds might have flown across the international border from India’s Desert National Park (DNP).
• GIBs are highly at risk in Pakistan because of lack of protection and rampant hunting.

About Great Indian Bustards:

• GIB is one of the largest flying birds in the world. It is also the state bird of Rajasthan.
• Habitat of GIB:
  • GIBs were found all over Indian subcontinent. Now the habitat has shrunken to 10 percent of the original one.
  • GIBs are terrestrial birds and are majorly found in grasslands and dryland ecosystem.
  • About 95% of its population is present in Rajasthan. Other states include Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra.
• Threats:
  • The biggest threat is the high voltage electricity lines. Their vision is weak and they cannot escape the lines in time during flight, leading to their death.
  • The change in land cultivation pattern like switching over to cotton and oil seeds from pulses have led to fall in GIB numbers.
• Conservation Status:
  • They are classified as critically endangered species under IUCN Red list.
  • They are protected under Schedule I of Wildlife Protection Act 1972 of India.
  • It is present in the Appendix I of CITES.
• Population recovery
• The government had launched GIB recovery programme in 2015 under which eggs of GIBs are hatched in controlled environment.

UPSC Prelims News of 21 October 2022

Viral Spillover

Context: Climate change could increase the risk of “viral spillover” in some regions of the world, causing new pandemics.

What is Viral Spillover?

• It is a process through which viruses may infect a new species from a reservoir host species (in which it usually resides).

The Study:

• Researchers collected sediment and soil samples from Lake Hazen in Canada – the world’s largest High Arctic lake by volume, and the region’s largest freshwater ecosystem.
• Based on DNA and RNA sequencing, they found that the chances of a virus moving to a new host increases with runoff from glacier melt.
• As melting of glaciers increases due to temperature rise, there is a greater possibility for previously ice-trapped viruses and bacteria to find new hosts.

Role Of Reservoir Species Range:

• As long as viruses and their ‘bridge vectors’ are not simultaneously located in the same environment, the likelihood of dramatic events probably remains low.
• However, climate change could shift the range of certain reservoir species northwards, and the High Arctic zone could become fertile ground for emerging pandemics.

Agni Prime Missile

Context: The Agni Prime new generation ballistic missile was successfully test fired off the coast of Odisha.

About

• It is a new generation advanced variant of the Agni class of ballistic missiles.
• It is a nuclear capable and a surface-to-surface ballistic missile.
• It is the smallest and lightest among the entire Agni series.

Features

• It is a two-stage canisterised solid propellant missile (Canisterisation lessens the time required for launch & improves storage and mobility).
• Dual redundant navigation and guidance system.
• It has a range of up to 2000 km.
• Significance
  • It will strengthen India’s credible deterrence capabilities, improved manoeuvring and accuracy, unlike earlier Agni missiles.

Agni Class of Missiles:

UPSC Prelims News of 27 October 2022

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