Daily Prelims Notes 1 December 2024

Daily Prelims Notes

1 December 2024

Table Of Contents

1. Emerging H5N1 Mutations and Their Potential Impact on Human Infections
2. National Seed Congress: Fostering Innovation in Sustainable Seed Ecosystems
3. Snakebite Declared a Notifiable Disease: A Milestone in Public Health Policy
4. Nirmala Sitharaman urges women to join Central schemes and be self-reliant
5. How scientists took first zoomed-in image of star outside our galaxy
6. 43 years after death of IAF officer, his wife reconnects with force, gets ₹1 crore in dues
7. Cuttack hospital likely to be a one-stop centre for sickle cell anaemia treatment
8. India’s uneven tiger tale: 22 reserves host fewer than 10 big cats — and 3 of them have none at all, finds DTE analysis

1. Emerging H5N1 Mutations and Their Potential Impact on Human Infections

Sub : Sci

Sec : Health

Why in News

Recent cases of H5N1 avian influenza in British Columbia, Canada, and Alameda County, California, have raised global public health concerns. These cases highlight the virus’s potential to mutate, increasing its adaptability to human hosts and raising the risk of human-to-human transmission.

What is the H5N1 virus?

• Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 (A/H5N1) is a subtype of the influenza A virus, which causes influenza (flu), predominantly in birds.
• It is enzootic (maintained in the population) in many bird populations, and also panzootic (affecting animals of many species over a wide area).
• A/H5N1 virus can also infect mammals (including humans) that have been exposed to infected birds; in these cases, symptoms are frequently severe or fatal.
• Ever since it emerged in 1996, H5N1 has resulted in the mass killing of billions of wild birds as well as fowls.
• According to scientists, the virus lacks changes that would make it better adapted to transmit between people and therefore, the risk to human health remains low.
• The potential for influenza viruses to rapidly evolve and the wide geographic spread of H5N1 signals that more human infections should be expected.
• New Clade Emergence: The Avian Influenza H5N1 (clade 2.3.4.4b) emerged in late 2020, leading to a global outbreak primarily spread by migratory birds.
• Millions of birds have died due to the outbreak, and the virus has been detected in over 200 mammalian species, including humans.
• Genomic Findings: Virus belonged to clade 2.3.4.4b, genotype D1.1.
• PB2-E627K mutation identified, associated with: Faster replication in human cells and enhanced adaptation to human hosts.

2. National Seed Congress: Fostering Innovation in Sustainable Seed Ecosystems

Sub : Sci

Sec : Biotech

Why in News

The 13th National Seed Congress (NSC) recently concluded, focusing on advancing innovative seed technologies, promoting biofortified crops, and implementing climate-resilient farming practices. The event underscored policy frameworks, including a proposed Seeds Bill, and explored strategies to strengthen India’s seed sector.

13th National Seed Congress:

• Theme: “Innovating for a Sustainable Seed Ecosystem.”
• Jointly organized by the Union Agriculture Ministry and the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI).

Major Focus Areas:

• Development of hybrid and biofortified crops.
• Stress-tolerant seed varieties aimed at enhancing resilience.
• Accelerating breeding cycles to meet future demands.
• Promoting practices like direct-seeded rice and zero tillage to reduce farming input costs.
• Emphasis on climate adaptation to address challenges posed by global warming.
• Discussions on a new Seeds Bill to streamline the sector.
• Enhancing seed entrepreneurship through public-private partnerships.
• Strengthening supply chains and farmer capacity to ensure accessibility to quality seeds.
• Access to high-quality seeds, including hybrids and biofortified crops.
• Increased productivity and profitability through state-backed initiatives.

What is biofortification?

• Biofortification is the process of increasing nutritional value of food crops by increasing the density of vitamins and minerals in a crop through either conventional plant breeding; agronomic practices or biotechnology. Examples of these vitamins and minerals that can be increased through biofortification include provitamin A Carotenoids, zinc and iron.
• Conventional crop breeding techniques are used to identify varieties with particularly high concentration of desired nutrients.
• These are cross-bred with varieties with other desirable traits from the target areas (such a virus resistance, drought tolerance, high yielding, taste) to develop biofortified varieties that have high levels of micronutrients (for example, vitamin A, iron or zinc), in addition to other traits desired by farmers and consumers.
• Agronomic biofortification entails application of minerals such as zinc or iron as foliar or soil applications, drawing on plant management, soil factors, and plant characteristics to get enhanced content of key micronutrients into the edible portion of the plant.
• Biofortification reaches rural consumers who have limited access to industrially fortified foods, supplementation interventions, and diverse diets.

About Direct Seeded Rice (DSR):

• Direct Seeded Rice (DSR), also known as the ‘broadcasting seed technique,’ is a water-saving method of sowing paddy.
• In this method, seeds are directly drilled into the fields. In contrast to the traditional water-intensive method of transplanting rice seedlings from a nursery to waterlogged fields, this method saves groundwater.
• There is no nursery preparation or transplantation involved in this method.
• Farmers have to only level their land and give one pre-sowing irrigation.
• DSR can solve labour shortage problems because like the traditional method it does not require a paddy nursery and transplantation of 30 days old paddy nursery into the main puddled field.
• It offers avenues for ground water recharge as it prevents the development of hard crust just beneath the plough layer due to puddled transplanting.
• It matures 7-10 days earlier than the puddle transplanted crop, therefore giving more time for management of paddy straw.
• According to the results from research trials and farmers’ field survey, after this technique the yield is one to two quintals per acre higher than puddled transplanted rice.

Zero tillage:

• It is the process where the crop seed will be sown through drillers without prior land preparation and disturbing the soil where previous crop stubbles are present.
• Zero tillage not only reduce the cost of cultivation it also reduces the soil erosion, crop duration and irrigation requirement and weed effect which is better than tillage.
• Zero Tillage (ZT) also called No Tillage or Nil Tillage.
• No Till approach started from 1960s by farmers in India.

Advantages of zero tillage:

• Reduction in the crop duration and thereby early cropping can be obtained to get higher yields.
• Reduction in the cost of inputs for land preparation and therefore a saving of around 80%.
• Residual moisture can be effectively utilized and number of irrigations can be reduced.
• Dry matter and organic matter get added to the soil.
• Environmentally safe – Greenhouse effect will get reduced due to carbon sequestration.
• No tillage reduces the compaction of the soil and reduces the water loss by runoff and prevent soil erosion.
• As the soil is intact and no disturbance is done, No Till lands have more useful flora and fauna.

3. Snakebite Declared a Notifiable Disease: A Milestone in Public Health Policy

Sub : Sci

Sec: Health

Why in News

• India has declared snakebite a notifiable disease, aligning with the World Health Organization’s (WHO) global goal to reduce snakebite deaths and injuries by 50% by 2030. This step is expected to improve monitoring, access to anti-venom, and emergency care, especially in rural and tribal areas, addressing a major public health concern.

About Snakebite Envenoming:

• Snakebite envenoming is a potentially life-threatening disease following the bite of a venomous snake.
• In India, around 50,000 deaths occur of an estimated 3-4 million snake bites annually which accounts for half of all snakebite deaths globally.
• As per the Central Bureau of Health Investigation (CBHI) reports (2016-2020), the average annual frequency of snakebite cases in India is around 3 lakhs and about 2000 deaths occur due to snakebite envenoming.
• In India, around 90% of snake bites are caused by the ‘big four’ among the crawlers – common krait, Indian cobra, Russell’s viper and saw scaled viper.
• Administration of polyvalent anti-snake venom (ASV) containing antibodies against cobra, Russell’s viper, common krait and saw scaled viper is effective in 80% of the snakebite cases, however, lack of trained human resources and health facilities to treat snakebite patients remains a cause of concern.

What makes snakebite a neglected tropical disease (NTD):

• There are four primary criteria that define an illness as a neglected tropical disease (NTD), and snakebite envenoming satisfies each of them:
• First, there is a significant burden of mortality and morbidity (as detailed in the answer to question 1) – snakebite envenoming is a high-impact disease.
• Secondly, a majority of incidents of snakebite occur in the world’s tropical and subtropical regions, and it particularly impacts the poor – snakebite is a tropical disease.
• Thirdly, snakebite is amenable to treatment, as well as prevention – the impact of snakebite can be mitigated now if we make the effort to do so.

The National Action Plan for Snakebite Envenoming (NAPSE):

• Vision: “To prevent and control snakebite envenoming in order to halve the numbers of deaths and cases of disability that it causes by 2030”.
• Mission: To progressively reduce the morbidity, mortality and its associated complications in humans due to Snake bite.
• The National Action Plan for Snakebite Envenoming (NAPSE) provides a broad framework for management, prevention and control of Snake bite envenoming in India.
• The activities of human health component are already being implemented under snakebite prevention and control through the State and District Nodal Officer (SNO & DNO) under National Health Mission.
• Surveillance is a key element in NAPSE so that problems can be easily identified, and actions could be undertaken in a timely manner.

4. Nirmala Sitharaman urges women to join Central schemes and be self-reliant

Sub: Schemes

Sec : Economy

Context:

• Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman distributed ₹1,121 crore in loans to 50,294 beneficiaries during a Credit Outreach Programme in Madhubani, Bihar.
• Loans were sanctioned under schemes such as PM MUDRA, PMEGP, Kisan Credit Card, Stand-Up India, PM SVANidhi, and PM Vishwakarma, targeting sectors like retail, MSMEs, SHGs, and agriculture.

Details of these schemes:

Empowering Women:

• The finance minister emphasized women’s crucial role in achieving India’s goal of becoming a developed nation by 2047.
• She also highlighted the importance of Self-Help Groups (SHGs) in increasing household incomes. The goal is to create “Lakhpati Didis” in every village, defined as SHG members with an annual household income exceeding ₹1 lakh.

5. How scientists took first zoomed-in image of star outside our galaxy

Sub: Sci

Sec : Space sector

Context:

• For the first time, scientists have captured a zoomed-in picture of a star in another galaxy.
• The star, WOH G64, is located 160,000 light years away in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a satellite galaxy of the Milky Way.

How the picture was taken:

• The European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope Interferometer (VLTI) was used to capture the detailed image of WOH G64.
• VLTI comprises four 8-metre diameter telescopes situated in Cerro Paranal, Chile.
• It also has an interferometer called GRAVITY that combines the light from the telescopes to achieve the resolution of a much larger telescope.

About WOH G64:

• Estimated to be 2,000 times the diameter of the Sun.
• Believed to be the largest known star in its galaxy.
• WOH G64 is in the final stages of its life. Recent observations show that it has expelled its outer layers and is encased in arcs and wreaths of gas and dust.
• Massive stars like WOH G64 end their lives either as a black hole or in a supernova explosion.

6. 43 years after death of IAF officer, his wife reconnects with force, gets ₹1 crore in dues

Sub: Sci

Sec : Health

Context:

• Forty-three years after Flight Lieutenant Chandrasekhar died heroically preventing a train robbery, his wife, now 70, reconnected with the Indian Air Force (IAF) as ₹1 crore in arrears was credited to her.
• Following his death, the family faced delays in receiving pension benefits, compounded by incorrect documentation and the wife’s relocation to Australia in 1984.
• Efforts by Project Sambandh, led by Colonel Vembu Shankar (Retd.), rectified these issues after decades, coordinating with over 10 agencies to ensure proper paperwork.
• Project Sambandh is an initiative founded by Colonel Vembu Shankar (Retd.), a Shaurya Chakra awardee, with the goal of supporting retired defence personnel, veterans, and their families in resolving pension-related disputes and ensuring rightful entitlements.

7. Cuttack hospital likely to be a one-stop centre for sickle cell anaemia treatment

Sub: Sci

Sec : Health

Context:

• A team from UNICEF visited the Haematology Department at SCB Medical College, Cuttack, to assess its potential as a one-stop centre for treating sickle cell anaemia.
• Odisha has the highest prevalence of sickle cell disease in India, making it a focus area for intervention and care.
• The proposed one-stop centre at SCB will offer comprehensive care, including diagnostic testing, ICU facilities, dedicated wards, medicine distribution, and specialized staff training.

About Sickle Cell Disease (SCD):

• Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) is an inherited haemoglobin disorder characterised by a genetic mutation that causes red blood cells (RBCs) to assume a sickle or crescent shape rather than their normal round shape.
• This abnormality in RBCs results in increased rigidity, impairing their ability to circulate effectively throughout the body.
• Consequently, individuals with SCD often experience complications such as anaemia, organ damage, recurrent and severe pain episodes, and a shortened lifespan.

Disease Prevalence:

• Odisha leads with 89,329 diagnosed cases from 47,62,739 screenings, resulting in a disease rate of 1.88%. The national disease average is significantly lower at 38%.
• The state also has the highest number of carriers at 3,66,289 individuals (7.69%) of the population.

National Sickle Cell Anaemia Elimination Mission (NSCAEM):

• The National Sickle Cell Anaemia Elimination Mission (NSCAEM) is an initiative launched in 2023 by the Government of India to address the burden of sickle cell anaemia, particularly in tribal-dominated regions.
• It aims to eliminate the disease by 2047 through widespread screening, awareness, and improved access to care and treatment.

Treatment of Sickle Cell Anaemia

Casgevy

• Developed by: Vertex Pharmaceuticals (Europe) Ltd. and CRISPR Therapeutics.
• Developed using: Gene editing tool CRISPR, which won its makers a Nobel prize in 2020.
• Approved for: Patients with sickle cell disease and thalassemia who are 12 years old and over.
• Earlier treatment: To date, bone marrow transplants, extremely arduous procedures that come with very unpleasant side effects, have been the only long-lasting treatment.

How Casgevy works?

• It works by targeting the problematic gene in a patient’s bone marrow stem cells so that the body can make properly functioning haemoglobin.
• Patients first receive a course of chemotherapy, before doctors take stem cells from the patient’s bone marrow and use genetic editing techniques in a laboratory to fix the gene.
• The cells are then infused back into the patient for a permanent treatment.
• Patients must be hospitalized at least twice — once for the collection of the stem cells and then to receive the altered cells.

8. India’s uneven tiger tale: 22 reserves host fewer than 10 big cats — and 3 of them have none at all, finds DTE analysis

Sub: Env

Sec: Species

Context:

• India hosts about 75% of the global tiger population and is home to at least 3,167 tigers as per the 2022 NTCA Tiger Census, showing an increase from 2,967 in 2018. However, the distribution of tigers across the country is highly uneven, and multiple challenges continue to threaten their conservation.

Key Findings on Tiger Distribution:

• Uneven Distribution:
  • 40% of tigers are concentrated in just 11% of reserves.
  • Only six reserves host more than 100 tigers each, accounting for 795 tigers. These reserves are:
    • Corbett National Park: 231 tigers (highest in India)
    • Nagarhole: 127 tigers
    • Bandipur: 126 tigers
    • Kaziranga & Bandhavgarh: 104 tigers each
    • Mudumalai: 103 tigers
  • 22 reserves report fewer than 10 tigers, including Buxa (West Bengal), Dampa (Mizoram), and Palamu (Jharkhand), which recorded no tigers.
• Coverage and Reserves:
  • India’s 56 tiger reserves span 78,626 sq. km, about 2.3% of India’s total area.
  • Recent additions:
    • Veerangana Durgavati (Madhya Pradesh)
    • Dholpur-Karauli (Rajasthan)
    • Guru Ghasidas-Tamor Pingla (Chhattisgarh)

Threats to Tigers and Their Habitats:

1. Poaching and Staff Shortages:
   • 20 reserves lack sufficient anti-poaching staff, and some report staffing shortages of up to 40%.
   • Key vacancies include forest guards and frontline staff, hindering patrolling and monitoring efforts.
2. Invasive Species:
   • 40 reserves are affected by invasive species like Lantana camara, Prosopis juliflora, and Chromolaena odorata, which dominate 66% of natural ecosystems in India.
   • These invasive plants disrupt herbivore populations by reducing edible vegetation, ultimately affecting apex predators like tigers.
3. Habitat Fragmentation and Mining:
   • Linear infrastructure projects (roads, railways) and mining activities fragment habitats and tiger corridors, altering genetic diversity.
4. Low Prey Base:
   • Insufficient prey populations prompt interventions like augmenting prey species, but experts criticize these as unscientific measures akin to farming in wilderness areas.

Source: DTE