★★★★★ 5/5
Prelims: Environment (flyways for birds), Central Asian Flyway, Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals
Mains: General Studies-III Conservation, Environmental Pollution and Degradation, Environmental Impact Assessment.
Why in the News ?
The Fourteenth Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS COP 14) adopted the Initiative for the Central Asian Flyway introduced by India on February 17, 2024.
Source: DTE
Key Facts 🗝️
- There are nine flyways in the world.
- Geographically the flyway region covers 30 countries of North, Central and South Asia and Trans-Caucasus.
📌 FYI on Prelims:
Convention on Migratory Species (CMS)
- It is an intergovernmental treaty under the UNEP known as Bonn Convention.
- It was signed in 1979 and in force since 1983.
- As of 1 March 2022, the CMS has 133 Parties.
- India is also a party to CMS since 1983.
- Aim: It aims to conserve terrestrial, marine and avian migratory species throughout their range.
- It lays the legal foundation to conduct conservation measures on a global scale.
- Two appendices under CMS:
- Appendix I – ‘Threatened Migratory Species’.
- Appendix II -‘Migratory Species requiring international cooperation’.
- India has signed a non-legally binding Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with CMS on conservation and management of Siberian Cranes (1998), Marine Turtles (2007), Dugongs (2008), and Raptors (2016).
- India provides temporary shelter to several migratory species – Amur Falcons, Bar-headed Geese, Black-necked Cranes, Marine Turtles, Dugongs, Humpback Whales, etc.
About:
Central Asian Flyway:
- Area: It covers a large continental area of Eurasia between the Arctic and Indian Oceans and the associated island chains.
- A flyway is a geographical region within which a single or group of migratory species completes its annual cycle — breeding, moulting, staging and non-breeding.
- There is an overlap between the CAF and the area of the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA), which was concluded in 1995, at The Hague, the Netherlands.
- Sixteen out of the thirty countries encompassed by the CAF are located in the AEWA Agreement Area.
- CAF migration routes include the steppes and cold deserts of Central Eurasia, and much of the Himalayan chain, where unique, high-altitude migrations such as those of the Bar-headed Goose, Anser indicus, take place.
India’s Initiative:
- National Action Plan for the Conservation of Migratory Birds (2018-2023): India has launched the National Action Plan for the conservation of migratory species along the Central Asian Flyway.
- The 14 species which will be listed in CMS appendices include Eurasian Lynx, Peruvian Pelican, Pallas’s Cat, Guanaco, Laulao Catfish, Balkan Lynx, Lahille’s Bottlenose Dolphin, Harbour Porpoise, Magellanic Plover, Bearded Vulture, Blackchin Guitarfish, Bull Ray, Lusitanian Cownose Ray and Gilded Catfish.
UPSC CSE EXAMS Corner
Prelims: PYQ/FAQ
Q. With reference to Flyways, consider the following statements.
1.Geographically, 3 global flyways pass through India.
2.Bonn Convention is the only global convention specializing in the conservation of migratory species and their Flyways.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
A) 1 only
B) 2 only
C) Both 1 and 2
D) Neither 1 nor 2
Ans: c. Both 1 and 2
Explaination:
- A flyway is a geographical region within which a single or a group of migratory species completes its annual cycle – breeding, moulting, staging and non-breeding.
- Central Asian Flyway (CAF), East Asian Australasian Flyway and Asian East African Flyway are the three flyways pass through India.
- Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) or the Bonn Convention: It is an intergovernmental treaty, concluded under the aegis of UNEP. It was signed in 1979 in Bonn, Germany, and entered into force in 1983. It is the only global convention specializing in the conservation of migratory species, their habitats and migration routes.
★★★★★ 5/5
Prelims: Environment (Important concepts), Char area, Ecological Integrity, Brahmaputra River system
Mains: General Studies-III: Conservation, Environmental Pollution and Degradation, Environmental Impact Assessment.
Why in the News ?
Assam Chief Minister said his government would undertake a mission to reclaim the ‘chars’ from encroachers to safeguard the “ecological integrity” of the Brahmaputra Valley.
Source: TH
📌 FYI on Prelims:
Ecological Integrity: The ability of an ecological system to support and maintain a community of organisms that has species composition, diversity, and functional organization comparable to those of natural habitats within a region.
About:
Char area:
- The riverine areas (island) of the river Brahmaputra, locally known as “Char/ Chapori”
- The chars follow a peculiar pattern of migration. They are subjected to erosion on their upstream and deposition on the downstream, due to which they migrate downstream.
- This affects the geometry and location of the chars during floods almost every year.
- Issues:
- The physical, sociological and institutional constraints on development of Char Areas are many and complex.
- Virtual absence of all weather communication with the main banks, reliable means of intra and inter char mobility, inadequate growth of transport and basic infrastructure like surface roads, health and drinking water, delivery systems for farm inputs, marketing, agro-services electricity and education.
- The problems in the Char Areas are unique in nature, due to constant threat from flood and erosion during the rainy season.
- The land mass is segregated and cut off from each other, making it very difficult for taking any major scheme for road communication, irrigation, Power supply or setting of educational institutions.
About Brahmaputra River system:
- Length: 2,900 km in length.
- Source: Chemayungdung glacier (Kailas Range) at an elevation of about 5,150 m. It’s source is very close to the sources of Indus and Satluj.
- Mariam La separates the source of the Brahmaputra from the Manasarovar Lake.
- Brahmaputra flows eastwards in Southern Tibet for about 1,800 km.
- Towards the end of its journey in Tibet, its course abruptly takes a south ward turn around Namcha Barwa (7,756 m), a Syntaxial Bend.
UPSC CSE EXAMS Corner
Mains: PYQ/FAQ
Q. Define the concept of carrying capacity of an ecosystem as relevant to an environment. Explain how understanding this concept is vital while planning for sustainable development of a region.
★★★★★ 3.5/5
Prelims: Polity (Organization), Bharatatiya Bhasha Samiti, Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri National Sanskrit University (SLBSNSU),
Mains: General Studies II – Government Policies and Interventions for Development in various sectors and Issues arising out of their Design and Implementation.
Why in the News ?
The Chairman of Bharatiya Bhasha Samiti advocated for the promotion of Indian languages in education and stated that textbooks will soon be available in Indian languages on digital platforms.
Source: HT
Key Facts 🗝️
- Bharatiya Bhasha Samiti comes under Min of Education.
- Article 344(1): It mandates the appointment of a Commission by the President after 5 years from the date the Constitution comes into effect.
- Article 351: It places the responsibility on the Union to promote and develop the Hindi language, enabling it to be a medium of expression for India’s diverse cultural elements.
- Article 351(1): The President is required to establish a commission every five years, and subsequently every ten years, with a chairman and members representing languages listed in the Eighth Schedule. The primary role is to provide advice to the President on the effective use of Hindi for official purposes by the GOI.
About:
Bharatiya Bhasha Samiti
- It is a High Powered Committee for Promotion of Indian Languages.
- Mandate: The mandate of this committee would be to explore and recommend pathways of the holistic and multi-disciplinary growth of Indian languages as envisaged in the National Education Policy-2020.
- Functions: It has also been entrusted to advise the Ministry on all matters pertaining to revitalization of existing language teaching and research and its extension in various institutions in the country.
- To perform the tasks assigned to it, the High Powered Committee may appoint sub-committees/study groups.
- The committee may organize seminars, workshops, conferences, and webinars to highlight the need for the promotion of Indian languages.
- It may also interact and coordinate with any institution of the Central/State Government dealing with teaching, research, and extension/promotion of languages.
- Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri National Sanskrit University (SLBSNSU), New Delhi would provide secretarial assistance and space to house the High Powered Committee and meet the related expenditure as per the Government of India rules, regulations and instructions from time to time.
- The SLBSNSU has been also entrusted to appoint consultants and experts/scholars/officials/young professionals on short-term basis and to conduct seminars, workshops, webinars, etc. as per the recommendations of the Committee.
- Finances: Provided by the Ministry of Education (MoE) to the University under relevant budget heads.
UPSC CSE EXAMS Corner
Prelims: PYQ/FAQ
Q. Consider the following languages:
- Gujarati
- Kannada
- Telugu
Which of the above has/have been declared as ‘Classical Language / Languages’ by the Government?
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 3 only
(c) 2 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Ans: c. 2 and 3 only
Explaination:
- Currently there are six languages that enjoy the ‘Classical’ status in India:
- Tamil (declared in 2004), Sanskrit (2005), Kannada (2008), Telugu (2008), Malayalam (2013), and Odia (2014).
- All the Classical Languages are listed in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution.
- The Ministry of Culture provides the guidelines regarding Classical languages.
- Guidelines for declaring a language as ‘Classical’ are:
- High antiquity of its early texts/recorded history over a period of 1500-2000 years;
- A body of ancient literature/texts, which is considered a valuable heritage by generations of speakers;
- The literary tradition be original and not borrowed from another speech community;
- The classical language and literature being distinct from modern, there may also be a discontinuity between the classical language and its later forms or its offshoots.
★★★★★ 4/5
Prelims: Science and technology (Satellite and weapon system), Anti-satellite weapon, Kinetic Energy weapon, Outer Space treaty
Mains: General Studies-III Awareness in the fields of IT, Space, Computers, Robotics, Nano-technology, Bio-technology and issues relating to Intellectual Property Rights.
Why in the News ?
Russia is actively working towards a formidable new development in space technology, focusing on creating a nuclear anti-satellite (ASAT) weapon. U.S. intelligence committee chair told U.S. President to declassify it.
Source: TH
Key Facts 🗝️
In a high-altitude test in 1962 called Starfish Prime, the U.S. detonated a thermonuclear bomb 400 km above ground. It remains the largest nuclear test conducted in space.
About:
Anti-Satellite Weapon:
- It is designed to destroy satellites that are already in orbit and are operational.
- Types of Anti-Satellite Weapons: ASATs are broadly classified into two types namely
- Kinetic energy methods: This involves launching a missile that intercepts and physically collides with the target satellite to destroy it.
- The kinetic energy ASATs physically collide with satellites and can reach altitudes. These ASATs can be ballistic missiles, drones, and other satellites.
- Non-kinetic methods: They use non-physical attacks such as cyber-attacks, jamming, and even lasers to blind satellites without physically destroying them.
- Attack: Can be launched from the air, low orbit, or even ground installations.
- These can even undertake pellet cloud attacks on enemy’s low orbit satellites.
- Other ASAT capabilities include cyber-attacks on space systems, Electro-Magnetic Pulse (EMP) explosion devices, directed energy (laser based) weapons and targeted missiles for destruction of satellites to sabotage the enemy’s military operations.
- There are many countries which have this capability, but only four countries — including India — have demonstrated their ASAT capabilities.
- Issues:
- These weapons generate tremendous amount space debris, which poses a hazard to all space operations, including civilian and commercial satellites.
A kinetic energy weapon
- It is also known as kinetic weapon, kinetic energy warhead, kinetic warhead, kinetic projectile, kinetic kill vehicle, is a projectile weapon based solely on a projectile‘s kinetic energy to inflict damage to a target.
- The term hit-to-kill, or kinetic kill, is also used in the military aerospace field to describe kinetic energy weapons accelerated by a rocket engine
Outer Space Treaty, 1967:
- The treaty provides the basic framework for international space law.
- The exploration and use of outer space shall be carried out for the benefit and in the interests of all countries and shall be the province of all mankind.
- Outer space shall be free for exploration and use by all States.
UPSC CSE EXAMS Corner
Mains: PYQ/FAQ
Q. International civil aviation laws provide all countries complete and exclusive sovereignty over the airspace above their territory. What do you understand by ‘airspace’? What are the implications of these laws on the space above this airspace? Discuss the challenges which this poses and suggest ways to contain the threat.
★★★★★ 4/5
Prelims: Sci & tech (scientific concepts), Magnetoelectric multiferroics, MnBi2S4
Mains: General Studies III- Science and Technology- Developments and their Applications and Effects in Everyday Life
Why in the News ?
Scientists uncover unique properties in a multiferroic material potential for energy-efficient data storage.
Source: PIB
Key Facts 🗝️
- Researchers have identified a unique mechanism of electric polarization via magnetic ordering in a novel mineral named “MnBi2S4”
- It can be useful for energy efficient data storage.
About:
- Magnetoelectric Multiferroics :
- Special class of materials popular among the research fraternity for their rarity and unique properties.
- Exhibit both magnetism and ferroelectricity simultaneously.
- Application: For advanced technology applications like spintronics, electronic memory devices, and other electronic components like actuators and switches.
- MnBi2S4 :
- It is also known as mineral graţianite.
- It has distinct magnetic structures in the material :
- spin density wave,
- cycloidal spin structure
- helical spin structure
- It is also known to be centrosymmetric, undergoes magnetic ordering at low temperatures (27, 23, and 21.5 Kelvins).
- Its important in the strong coupling between magnetism and electric polarization.
- It is driven by magnetic frustration, represents a breakthrough in magnetoelectric coupling.
- Specifically, if the material possesses the ability to exhibit the same phenomena at room temperature, it could pave the way for energy-efficient manipulation of spin using small electric fields.
- This could revolutionize data storage by reducing energy consumption during writing processes.
- These findings can be helpful for the development of four-state logic memory system, providing additional degrees of freedom for device performance compared to the current binary logic systems.
