1. Bar-Headed Goose

A bar-headed goose, a rare migratory bird, was recently spotted for the first time in Morshing village, West Kameng district, Arunachal Pradesh.

About the Bar-Headed Goose:

• Scientific Name: Anser indicus
• Migration & Altitude: Recognized as one of the world’s highest-flying birds, it can soar at altitudes of 25,000 feet while migrating over the Himalayas, where oxygen levels and temperatures are extremely low.

Distribution:

• Native to Central Asia, where it breeds.
• Found in India, Pakistan, Nepal, Kazakhstan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Japan, and nearby regions.
• Migrates to South Asia during winter.
• In India, it is observed from the northeastern to southern regions.

Habitat:

• Prefers water bodies, high-altitude lakes during breeding, and freshwater lakes, rivers, and streams in winter.
• Also found in rocky areas, farmlands, and marshes.

Features:

• Exhibits a grayish-white body with two distinct brownish-black bars on the back of its white head.
• The bill and legs vary in color—pink, orange, or yellow.
• Wingspan: 140-160 cm.
• Males and females look similar, though males are slightly larger.
• Forms monogamous pairs and breeds seasonally.

Conservation Status:

• IUCN Red List: Least Concern

2. Sharavathi Pumped Storage Hydroelectric Project (PSHP)

Karnataka’s ambitious Sharavathi Pumped Storage Hydroelectric Project (PSHP) has sparked intense debate, with environmentalists and locals raising concerns over its potential to cause irreversible ecological damage to the fragile Western Ghats ecosystem.

About the Project:

• A pumped storage hydroelectric project on the Sharavathi River, Karnataka.
• Aims to generate 2000 MW, making it India’s largest pumped storage power facility.
• Built between two existing reservoirs:
  • Upper Reservoir: Talakalale Dam (62.48 m tall) currently supports the existing Sharavathi hydro project.
  • Lower Reservoir: Gerusoppa Dam (64 m tall).
• Functions by pumping water uphill during low demand and releasing it downhill to generate power during peak hours.
• Modeled after Telangana’s Kaleshwaram Project, it also aims to provide drinking water to Bengaluru.
• Involves five tunnels and eight pumping stations as key components.

About the Sharavathi River:

• Flow Direction: Westward, originating in the Western Ghats and draining into the Arabian Sea at Honavar, Uttara Kannada District.
• Length: 128 km; Basin Area: 2,985 sq. km.
• Forms Jog Falls, one of India’s highest waterfalls, dropping from 253 m.
• The river course features rocky outcrops, fertile plains, and deep gorges.
• Major Tributaries: Nandihole, Haridravathi, Mavinahole, Hilkunji, Yennehole, Hurlihole, and Nagodihole.

3. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), a leading global scientific body on climate change, has commenced work on its Seventh Assessment Report cycle.

About IPCC:

• Established: 1988 by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
• Membership: 195 UN or WMO member countries.
• Objective:
  • Assess scientific, technical, and socio-economic data related to climate change.
  • Evaluate its causes, potential impacts, and adaptation/mitigation strategies.
• Role: Provides scientific insights to policymakers and contributes to international climate discussions under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
• Activities:
  • Publishes Assessment Reports, Special Reports, and Methodology Reports.
  • Does not conduct original research but reviews peer-reviewed climate literature.
  • Scientists volunteer to analyze thousands of studies to create comprehensive reports on climate change drivers, risks, and solutions.
• History:
  • First Assessment Report: 1990
  • Sixth Assessment Report: Completed in 2023
  • Seventh Assessment Report: In progress

IPCC Working Groups:

• Working Group I: Examines the physics of climate change.
• Working Group II: Assesses climate change impacts and adaptation.
• Working Group III: Focuses on mitigation strategies.

4. Dehing Patkai National Park

A Clouded Leopard (Neofelis nebulosa), a species classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, was recently captured on a camera trap inside Dehing Patkai National Park, Assam.

About Dehing Patkai National Park:

• Location: Dibrugarh and Tinsukia districts, Assam.
• Landscape: Part of the Dehing Patkai Landscape, a dipterocarp-dominated lowland rainforest.
• Geography:
  • Lies at the foothills of the Patkai Hills.
  • Located along the Dehing River, a tributary of the Brahmaputra.
  • Borders Namdapha Wildlife Sanctuary.
• Often called the ‘Amazon of the East’ due to its dense forests and biodiversity.
• Largest stretch of tropical lowland rainforest in India (231.65 sq. km).
• Declared a wildlife sanctuary on June 13, 2004 and upgraded to a national park on December 13, 2020.
• Climate: Tropical, receiving over 4,000 mm of annual rainfall.
• Ethnic Groups: Home to indigenous communities like Tai Phake, Khamyang, Khampti, Singpho, Nocte, Ahom, Kaibarta, Moran, and Motok, along with Nepali and Burmese settlers.

Flora & Fauna:

• Flora: Dominated by species like Hollong, Nahor, Mekai, Paroli, Simul, orchids, ferns, cane, and bamboo.
• Fauna: Hosts diverse wildlife, including slow loris, pig-tailed macaques, capped langurs, Indian leopards, Asian elephants, Bengal tigers, gaur, Himalayan black bears, clouded leopards, barking deer, and Chinese pangolins.

5. Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS)

Oscar-winning actor Gene Hackman recently passed away due to heart disease, just days after his wife, Betsy Arakawa, succumbed to Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS).

About Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS):

• Nature: A rare but serious infectious disease that begins with flu-like symptoms and can progress to life-threatening lung and heart complications.
• Alternative Name: Hantavirus Cardiopulmonary Syndrome.
• Transmission:
  • Primarily spread by rodents (rats and mice).
  • Inhalation of virus particles from rodent urine, droppings, or saliva is the most common mode of infection.
  • Rare cases of transmission through bites or scratches.
• Symptoms:
  • Initial signs: Fatigue, fever, muscle aches.
  • Followed by headaches, dizziness, chills, and abdominal discomfort.
  • Respiratory symptoms can be severe, with a 38% fatality rate.
• Treatment: No specific cure; early medical intervention improves chances of survival.

6. Dulcibella camanchaca

A newly discovered deep-sea predator in the Atacama Trench, though minuscule in size, exhibits lethal hunting skills, making it a dominant force in its ecosystem.

About D. camanchaca:

• This newly identified amphipod, a shrimp-like marine species, is the first known predatory amphipod in the hadal zone, found at depths exceeding 6,000 meters below sea level.
• Unlike most amphipods that feed on decomposing organic matter, it is an active predator, using specialized appendages to capture and consume prey.
• Such predatory behavior is rare among deep-sea organisms, as most rely on scavenging due to food scarcity.
• It has adapted to extreme conditions, including freezing temperatures and pressures over 1,000 times that of sea level.
• The genus name Dulcibella was inspired by Dulcinea from Don Quixote, but as this name was already assigned to another species, researchers chose camanchaca, meaning "darkness" in some South American languages—an apt name for a species that thrives in total darkness.

Atacama Trench:

• The Atacama Trench is located in the eastern South Pacific Ocean, off the coast of northern Chile, reaching depths of over 8,000 meters.
• It forms part of the hadal zone, characterized by intense pressure, near-freezing temperatures, and perpetual darkness.
• It is one of the most geographically isolated deep-sea regions, lying beneath nutrient-rich surface waters and accumulating high sediment loads.

7. Convention on Cluster Munitions

Lithuania recently withdrew from the Convention on Cluster Munitions, which bans the use of cluster bombs, citing security concerns related to neighboring Russia. This decision has drawn criticism from human rights organizations.

About the Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM):

• This international treaty, adopted on 30 May 2008, signed on 3 December 2008, and enforced from 1 August 2010, aims to eliminate the use of cluster munitions worldwide.
• Objective: It prohibits the use, production, transfer, and stockpiling of cluster bombs, promoting their universal ban and full implementation of the treaty.
• Membership: The treaty has 112 member states and 12 signatories yet to ratify it. However, India, the U.S., Russia, China, Ukraine, and Israel have not signed it due to military and strategic concerns.
• The CCM was established to address the devastating humanitarian impact of cluster munitions and prevent harm to civilians.
• Its implementation contributes to global peace and security, aligning with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and strengthening international humanitarian law.

8. Loss and Damage Fund

In a setback to global climate justice, the United States has withdrawn from the Loss and Damage Fund (LDF), which was designed to compensate developing nations for climate change-related damages.

About the Loss and Damage Fund (LDF):

• Loss and damage refer to the irreversible consequences of climate change, such as rising sea levels, extreme heatwaves, desertification, ocean acidification, biodiversity loss, and crop failures.
• Establishment: The fund was created during the 2022 UNFCCC Conference (COP27) in Egypt to financially support regions suffering economic and non-economic losses due to climate change.
• Developing nations, especially small island states, have long advocated for such funding, arguing they bear the brunt of climate disasters caused primarily by developed nations.
• Funding Status: So far, around $750 million has been pledged, with the U.S. contributing $17.5 million—one of the few countries to have fulfilled its initial commitment.
• The LDF is managed by a Governing Board, with the World Bank serving as the interim trustee for a four-year period.

Paris Agreement:

• The Paris Agreement (2015) is a global treaty aimed at combating climate change by significantly reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
• Its key goal is to limit global warming to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels while striving for a 1.5°C limit to minimize severe climate risks.
• Countries participating in the agreement must submit their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) every five years, detailing their climate action plans.

9. T-72 Tank

India’s Ministry of Defence has signed a $248 million contract with Rosoboronexport (RoE), Russia, for procuring 1,000-horsepower engines for T-72 tanks in fully built, semi-knocked-down, and completely knocked-down configurations.

About the T-72 Tank:

• The T-72 is a Soviet-designed main battle tank, introduced in 1971, and remains a key component of many nations’ armed forces.
• India’s tank fleet primarily consists of T-72s, currently equipped with 780 HP engines, which will now be upgraded to 1,000 HP engines to enhance mobility and performance.
• Designed by Uralvagonzavod, these tanks are manufactured and upgraded in India at the Heavy Vehicles Factory, Avadi.
• Equipped with high-accuracy sighting systems and an automatic loading mechanism, the tank ensures rapid and efficient firepower.

Features:

• Enhanced mobility with a smooth, smoke-free 1,000 HP engine, minimizing vibrations.
• Improved armor protection using layered armor technology.
• Firepower:
  • 125mm D-81 smoothbore gun
  • 7.62mm coaxial machine gun
  • 12.7mm anti-aircraft machine gun (mounted on the commander's cupola)
• Ammunition capacity:
  • 44 rounds of 125mm shells, 22 of which are stored in an automatic carousel loader for rapid firing.

10. Ponzi Scheme

India’s Enforcement Directorate (ED) has seized a business jet at Hyderabad airport as part of an ₹850 crore Ponzi scheme investigation involving a Hyderabad-based company and its promoters.

About Ponzi Schemes:

• A Ponzi scheme is a fraudulent investment scam that pays early investors using funds from new investors, creating an illusion of high returns.
• These schemes promise huge profits with minimal risk, but they ultimately collapse when fresh investments slow down.

Origin & Mechanism:

• Named after Charles Ponzi, who in 1920 became a millionaire by promoting a fraudulent investment scheme.
• Operates through word-of-mouth, attracting new investors with success stories of early participants.
• Eventually collapses when the influx of new investors dwindles, making it impossible to sustain payouts.
• Similar to pyramid schemes, where returns depend on recruiting new investors rather than actual profits.

Notable Ponzi Scams in India:

• Saradha Scam (2013): A major chit fund fraud in West Bengal.
• Rose Valley Scam: Larger than Saradha, with fraud exceeding ₹15,000 crore.
• SpeakAsia (2011): A fraudulent survey-based scheme.
• PACL Scam: Collected ₹49,100 crore under the pretense of land investments.

Legal Safeguards:

• The Prize Chit and Money Circulation (Banning) Act, 1978 prohibits Ponzi schemes, enforced by state governments.
• The Unregulated Deposit Schemes Act, 2019 further strengthens legal measures against such scams.
• The Enforcement Directorate (ED) investigates these scams under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002.