Daily Prelims Notes 13 April 2024 Table Of Contents IISc researchers design novel hydrogel to remove microplastics from water The blurry lines between wildlife ‘capture’ and ‘rescue’ As Lok Sabha race heats up, a ‘critically endangered’ turtle revered as god becomes poll mascot in Bengal What is CDP-SURAKSHA, the government’s new digital platform […]

    ‘Wise to assume bird flu pandemic will cause more severe disease in humans than COVID-19’ Subject: Science and tech Section: Health Context: H5N1, also known as bird flu, has been recognized as a potential public health threat for two decades, highlighted by recent cases in the United States. Details: In 2022, the first […]

    India explores Congo for copper and cobalt access Subject: Geography Section: Economy geography Context: India is set to finalize a government-to-government (G2G) memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Democratic Republic of Congo for access to critical minerals, particularly copper and cobalt. The international mining conference is going to be held in the Democratic […]

    Sicilian volcano is blowing smoke rings in the sky. What are volcanic vortex rings? Subject: Geography Section: Physical geography Context: Since last week, Mount Etna, the largest volcano in Europe, and among the world’s most active and iconic volcanoes, has been sending up almost perfect rings of smoke into the air. More on […]

    What is CDP-SURAKSHA, the government’s new digital platform to disburse subsidies to horticulture farmers? Subject: Schemes Section: Agri Context: The BJP-led government has come up with a new platform i.e. CDP-SURAKSHA to disburse subsidies to horticulture farmers under the Cluster Development Programme (CDP) — the Centre’s initiative to promote horticulture crops. More on […]

    As Lok Sabha race heats up, a ‘critically endangered’ turtle revered as god becomes poll mascot in Bengal Subject: Environment Section: Species in news Context: The Election Commission has adopted “Mohan Babu”, an endangered black softshell turtle, as its mascot and plastered photos of the smiling turtle across the constituency. More on news: […]

    The blurry lines between wildlife ‘capture’ and ‘rescue’ Subject: Environment Section: Env legislation Context: In India, the increasing frequency of human-wildlife encounters highlights the need for effective management strategies beyond reactive capture and relocation, which often result in unsustainable outcomes or harm to the animals. “Rescue” vs “Capture”: The distinction between genuine “wildlife […]

    IISc researchers design novel hydrogel to remove microplastics from water Subject: Environment Section: Pollution Context: Researchers at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) have developed a sustainable hydrogel specifically designed to remove microplastics from water. Microplastics, which are small plastic fragments that can contaminate water sources, pose significant health risks to humans and […]