Daily Prelims Notes 3 April 2023

April 3, 2023
Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
Category: DPN

Daily Prelims Notes

3 April 2023

Table Of Contents

1. MPC may hike repo rate by 25 bps before a pause

Subject: Economy

Section: MONETARY POLICY

Context: Against the global balancing act between hiking interest rates, withdrawing systemic liquidity and the series of recent bank failures, the Reserve Bank of India’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is likely to raise the policy rate by another 25 bps in its first bimonthly monetary policy for FY24, taking cognizance of the contagion impact on the Indian economy

Can policy rate hikes alone control inflation?

Inflation numbers for the first two months of 2023 have once again crossed the 6 per cent barrier of the RBI. Food and core inflation remained stubbornly high in February, above 6 per cent.
According to internal research conducted by RBI, inflation exceeding 6 per cent would have adverse effects on India’s growth.
It would negatively impact the financial savings and investment climate. Thus, the RBI’s rate hikes are a no-brainer.
As the monetary policy framework mandates, the primary job of the RBI is to keep inflation in check. Therefore, few would disagree with the RBI’s rate hikes.
The dominant role of commodity prices in India’s retail inflation has reignited the discussion on whether it is necessary to focus on targeting headline inflation. But these transitory fluctuations in headline inflation caused mainly by food prices can also lead to a rise in non-food or core inflation due to higher inflation expectations. Economist James Walsh, in a 2011 IMF working paper, ‘Reconsidering the Role of Food Prices in Inflation’, points to evidence that a policy focus on core inflation can mis-specify inflation, leading to higher inflationary expectations, a downward bias to forecasts of inflation and lags in policy responses.
In a study, ‘Explaining Inflation in India: The Role of Food Prices’, Prachi Mishra and Devesh Roy examined whether food inflation affects non-food inflation in India. They found a significant pass-through effect from food price inflation to non-food inflation
Renowned economist Nicholas Kaldor argued that monetary policy is not an effective tool to control inflation that is caused by supply-side factors, particularly those arising from the agricultural sector. Since monetary policy typically deals with the demand side of the economy, it cannot address inflation stemming from the agricultural sector. In their 2022 paper, ‘What lowered inflation in India: monetary policy or commodity prices?’, economists Pulapre Balakrishnan and M Parameswaran argue for a new set of instruments to control inflation arising from commodity prices.

Impact of US FED policy:

In its latest meeting, the US Federal Reserve increased the interest rate by 25 basis points to 5 per cent. This reduces the difference between interest rates in the US and India, which triggers a set of chain reactions, including capital outflow, rupee depreciation, depletion of forex reserve, and current account deficit. This will prompt a rate hike from the RBI so as to contain the interest rate differential between India and the US.
After adopting the flexible inflation targeting (FIT) framework, India’s average inflation declined notably compared to previous periods. CPI inflation, which is targeted in the framework, and WPI inflation were low and stable. Stable international commodity prices and moderation of minimum support prices also played an important role in stable inflation figures up to 2019. Inflation targeting, therefore, does not offer a complete solution to the inflation problem of developing countries like India prone to high exposure to supply shocks.
The April MPC would consider an interest rate hike by more than 25 bps as inflation has gone beyond the projected level this quarter. The central bank, to achieve its long-term goal of stable inflation and growth, would have to look at different instruments to reduce the impact of supply shock-induced inflation volatility.

2. At Asola Bhattisanctuary, a ‘seed bank’ of plants native to the Aravallis

Subject: Environment

Section: Places in news

A ‘SEED bank’, which collects and stores seeds of species of plants that are native to the Aravallis, is gradually taking shape at a nursery at the Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary, after a few years of efforts at collecting seeds from across the city and other state,

The project, being implemented jointly by the Forest Department and the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), began in 2015withthepurpose of providing saplings that are native to the city and bringing back species that are now difficult to find in the city with some having lost out to invasive species like the vilayatikikar which have taken over the Ridge

What is seed bank?

A seed bank is a facility that stores seeds in order to maintain genetically pure variety for future generations. Typically, they are flood, bomb, and radiation-proof vaults that store seeds from various plant species. The seeds are usually stored in climate controlled, low humidity and frigid temperatures. This aids in the long -term preservation of the seeds, guaranteeing that they will grow at a later day.

As per one estimate, there are over 1700 seed banks around the world, each with its own type, size, and concentration. The Svalbard Global Seed Vault, often known as the “doomsday vault” or “Noah’s ark of seeds,” seeks to hold a duplicate of every seed stored in other banks throughout the world. Svalbard has the capacity to store up to 4.5 million kinds of crops and 2.5 billion seeds. It contains about 1.14 million seed samples from over 6,000 distinct plant species.

WHY SEEDS BANKS ARE ESSENTIAL

The first step of growing food starts from seed. To sustain the planet and all living beings, plants are paramount. Since plants are threatened by a variety of factors, including loss of habitat, climate change, pollution, pests, and diseases, seed banks serve as an institution in building agricultural resilience in the times of crisis. It is estimated that 40% of plant species are threatened with extinction on a global scale. Plants that are rare, heritage, indigenous, wild, or locally distinctive are all at risk of extinction. Their extinction could result in the genetic deterioration of our food system.

Without good genetic diversity, adapting to climate change or new pests can be challenging. Crop breeders require a diverse set of genetic resources to aid in the adaptation of our crops to changing situations. A seed bank is a type of insurance, that allows us to safeguard as many plant species as possible from extinction.

BENEFITS OF SEED BANKS

Plant genetic diversity is important for a variety of reasons, and seed banks help to preserve it. These conserved seeds contain a wealth of beneficial genes that breeders might employ to build improved varieties of our most important food crops. A few specific benefits of seed banks:

Improve plant disease and pest resistance, both existing and emerging
Allow for drought or flood resistance
To feed a growing global population, increase yields and improve nutrition

The Kunming Institute of Botany’s Germplasm Bank of Wild Species of China is striving to preserve the seeds of as many wild plants as possible from across China’s huge land area. Many wild plants have genes that enable them to thrive in difficult conditions and make them resistant to diseases and drought. We may need these genetic resources in the future to produce new crops that can better adapt to shifting climate.

Why Aravalli important?

The Aravalli is the National Capital Region’s critical water recharge zone, climate regulator, wildlife habitat and barrier against desertification

Aravalli:

The Aravalli Range (also spelled Aravali) is a mountain range in Northwestern India.
It runs approximately 670 km (430 mi) in a south-west direction, starting near Delhi, passing through southern Haryana and Rajasthan, and ending in Gujarat.
The highest peak is Guru Shikhar at 1,722 metres (5,650 ft). Guru Shikhar is a peak in the Arbuda Mountains of Rajasthan. It is 15 km from Mount Abu.
Three major rivers and their tributaries flow from the Aravalli, namely Banas and Sahibi rivers which are tributaries of Yamuna, as well as Luni River which flows into the Rann of Kutch.

3. ISRO tested Reusable Launch Vehicle

Subject: Science and technology

Section: Space technology

Concept:

ISRO successfully carried out the landing experiment of the Reusable Launch Vehicle-Technology Demonstration (RLV-TD) programme at the Aeronautical Test Range in Chitradurga, Karnataka.

About Reusable Launch Vehicle-Technology Demonstration (RLV-TD):

The configuration of RLV-TD is similar to that of an aircraft and combines the complexity of both launch vehicles and aircraft.
The winged RLV-TD has been configured to act as a flying test bed to evaluate various technologies, namely, hypersonic flight, autonomous landing and powered cruise flight.
In future, this vehicle will be scaled up to become the first stage of India’s reusable two stage orbital launch vehicle.
Components:
- RLV-TD consists of a fuselage (body), a nose cap, double delta wings and twin vertical tails.
- It also features symmetrically placed active control surfaces called Elevons and Rudder.
- This technology demonstrator was boosted to Mach no: 5 by a conventional solid booster (HS9) designed for low burn rate.
Objectives of RLV-TD:
- Hypersonic aero thermodynamic characterisation of wing body
- Evaluation of autonomous Navigation, Guidance and Control (NGC) schemes
- Integrated flight management
- Thermal Protection System Evaluation
Significance
- In a first in the world, a winged body has been carried to an altitude of 4.5 km by helicopter and released for carrying an autonomous landing on a runway.

Aeronautical Test Range (ATR) Facility:

Aeronautical Test Range (ATR) is an outdoor testing and evaluation facility set up by DRDO exclusively for unmanned and manned aircraft.
The ATR is under the command of the Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE).
ATR is located at Varavoo Kaval in Challakere Taluk of Chitradurga district
ATR, Chitradurga has a Range Control Centre (RCC) with air traffic display system. It is equipped with a mission video distribution and display system. It has a Radar Centre which houses primary and secondary surveillance radars.

4. Bharat 6G Vision Document

Subject : Science and technology

Section: Awareness of IT

Concept :

Recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled the Bharat 6G Vision Document, a starting point for policymakers and the industry to gear up for the next generation of telecommunications.

India’s 6G Roadmap

The Government of India formally launched 5G services in October 2022 and said that India should be ready to launch 6G services in the next 10 years.
The Bharat 6G project will be implemented in two phases and the government has also appointed an apex council to oversee the project and focus on issues such as –
- Standardisation,
- Identification of the spectrum for 6G usage,
- Create an ecosystem for devices and systems, and
- Figure out finances for research and development, etc.
In Phase One (from 2023 to 2025), support will be provided to explorative ideas, risky pathways and proof-of-concept tests.
Ideas and concepts that show promise and potential for acceptance by the global peer community will be adequately supported to develop them to completion, leading to commercialisation as part of Phase Two (from 2025 to 2030).
To fund research and innovation on 6G, the document recommended the creation of a corpus of Rs 10,000 crore to facilitate various funding instruments such as grants, loans, VC fund, etc.
Some indicative goals are to –
Guarantee every citizen a minimum bandwidth of 100Mbps;
Ensure every gram panchayat has half a terabit per second of connectivity; and
Blanket the country with over 50 million internet hotspots, with thirteen per square km.

Why did the Government put out a 6G Vision Document?

To accelerate India’s wireless data consumption lead and assume leadership in setting the standards for 6G in the coming years.
- This may involve everything from encouraging local manufacturing of telecom gear to supporting Indian companies and engineers in international discussions around standardisation.
- Standardisation is key, as telecommunications standards are usually adopted globally.
Delay in previous generations of telecommunications technology rolling out in India.
- For example, 5G was rolled out years after countries like South Korea and the US had already covered their major urban areas with high-speed wireless connectivity.
- India does not want a repeat of that.
Yet another reason is pure physics:
- Frequencies generally increase in newer generations of networks, but the lower the frequency, the longer a cell signal can travel.
- With increasing data usage, lower frequencies in 4G networks may not physically be able to keep up with the demand for traffic.

How are Other Countries Looking at the 6G Rollout?

South Korea has outlined a 6G research and development plan with Rs 1200 crore worth of investments in the first phase running till 2025.
In Japan, the Integrated Optical and Wireless Network (IOWN) Forum has published its Vision 2030 for 6G for infrastructure evolution in four dimensions – cognitive capacity, responsiveness, scalability, and energy efficiency.
Key developments in 6G have also been identified and are being pursued in China, in order to support connectivity plus sensing plus Artificial Intelligence (AI).

For further notes on 6G Technology, refer – https://optimizeias.com/6g-technology/

5. ICCR to build ambassador programme among foreign students in India

Subject: Polity

Section: National Body

Concept :

The Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) aims to promote India’s cultural and creative heritage globally by using the experiences of over 48,000 foreign students studying in India as brand ambassadors.
ICCR will organize Exit Engagement Evenings (E-3) with foreign students in various Central and State universities, institutes, and agricultural colleges of the country, three or four months before they finish their courses.
In April 2022, ICCR launched the India Alumni Portal, a platform to connect with foreign students worldwide who have studied in India.
Values shown: Cultural Diplomacy, Soft Diplomacy, Brand Ambassadorship, International Education, Networking, and Alumni Engagement.

About ICCR

The Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) was founded in 1950 by Maulana AbulKalam Azad.
It is an autonomous organisation of the Government of India, involved in India’s external cultural relations i.e., cultural diplomacy.
Its objectives are:
- to actively participate in the formulation and implementation of policies and programmes pertaining to India’s external cultural relations.
- to foster and strengthen cultural relations and mutual understanding between India and other countries,
- to promote cultural exchanges with other countries and people, and to develop relations with nations.
It is running 36 cultural centresin different countries with the promotion of Indian culture and projecting India as a hub for higher education.
It instituted several awards for foreign nationals as a way to promote India’s culture abroad:
- Distinguished Indologist Award
- World Sanskrit Award
- Distinguished Alumni Award – Citation and Plaque
- Gisela Bonn Award

6. OPEC Plus announces oil production cuts

Subject : International Relations

Section: International Organisations

Concept :

Saudi Arabia and other OPEC+ oil producers announced further oil output cuts of around 1.16 million barrels per day, in a surprise move that analysts said would cause an immediate rise in prices and the United States called inadvisable.
The pledges bring the total volume of cuts by OPEC+, which groups the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries with Russia and other allies, to 3.66 million bpd according to Reuters calculations, equal to 3.7% of global demand.

OPEC and OPEC+

Established in 1960 by founding members Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Venezuela, OPEC has since expanded and now has 13 member states.
Member countries are: Algeria, Angola, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Venezuela.
Qatar terminated its membership on 1st January 2019.
OPEC+ :
With the addition of another 10 allied major oil-producing countries, the OPEC is known as OPEC+.
OPEC+ countries include 13 OPEC member countries, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Brunei, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Mexico, Oman, Russia, South Sudan and Sudan.
The objective of the organization is to coordinate and unify the petroleum policies of its Member Countries and ensure the stabilisation of oil markets in order to secure an efficient, economic and regular supply of petroleum to consumers, a steady income to producers and a fair return on capital for those investing in the petroleum industry.
Previously controlled by western-dominated multinational oil companies known as the “Seven Sisters,” OPEC sought to give the oil-producing nations greater influence over the global petroleum market.
They account for roughly 40 % of the world’s crude oil and 80 % of the globe’s oil reserves, according to estimates from 2018.
They usually meet every month to determine how much oil the member states will produce.
However, many allege that OPEC behaves like a cartel, determining the supply of oil and influencing its price in the world market.

7. 170 trillion Plastic Particles Afloat In The World’s Oceans

Subject: Environment

Section: Pollution

Concept:

170 trillion plastic particles are currently afloat in the oceans across the world, according to a new study, which added that if no urgent action is taken then this number could nearly triple by 2040.

Details of the study

‘A growing plastic smog, now estimated to be over 170 trillion plastic particles afloat in the world’s oceans — Urgent solutions required’, done by researchers from 5 Gyres Institute, Win Cowger of Moore Institute for Plastic Pollution Research and Stockholm Resilience Centre.
In 2014, it was estimated that there were 5 trillion plastic particles in the ocean.
From 1990 to 2005, the number of plastic particles more or less fluctuated.
One of the reasons for this could be due to the effective implementation of important policy measures at the time.
In the 1980s and 90s, there were some international policies, like MARPOL Annex 5 that enforced laws against dumping trash at sea. They were powerful laws that were enforceable and were preventative.
Since 2005 humanity has produced more than 5,000,000 tons of new plastic into the world, and with more plastic there is more pollution.

About microplastics

Plastic debris is found in the environment in a very wide range of sizes.
Researchers first reported finding tiny beads and fragments of plastic, especially polystyrene, in the ocean in the early 1970s.
The term ‘microplastics’ was introduced in the mid-2000s.
Today, it is used extensively to describe plastic particles with an upper size limit of 5 mm.

Why are microplastics in the ocean receiving increasing attention?

Marine litter – especially plastic debris in the ocean – is a major global environmental issue.
Physical effects
Microparticles can be ingested by filter-feeding marine organisms such as oysters and mussels.
They have been observed to close the gut wall and induce a reaction within the tissue.
Microplastics in the seawater present an additional stressor if they affect the filter-feeder system inside the whale’s mouth.
Chemical effects
The ecotoxicological profiles of compounds added to plastics to achieve certain properties are generally well known. These additives can be transferred from a plastic particle into an organism.
Seawater is contaminated with a wide variety of organic and inorganic pollutants. Many plastics absorb organic contaminants, such as the pesticide DDT and polychlorinated biphenols (PCBs), to a high degree.
These compounds can cause chronic human health effects, including disruption of the hormonal system (endocrine disruption), inducing genetic changes (mutagenicity) and cancer (carcinogenicity).
Once ingested by fish, birds or sea mammals, the compounds – which penetrate the structure of the plastic – may start to leach out.
Organisms become continuously contaminated by contact with their environment and by ingestion of contaminated food.

Sources of plastic debris

Sea-based sources include:
- Merchant shipping – rope, galley waste
- Fishing – nets, boxes, rope, wrapping bands, galley waste
- Aquaculture – nets, floats, rope
- Offshore oil and gas platforms – galley waste, sewage-related
- Cruise ships – galley waste, sewage-related (may be equivalent to a medium-sized town)
- Recreational boating – galley waste, sewage-related
Land-based sources include:
- Coastal tourism – packaging, cigarette filters
- Population centres – sewagerelated, storm drains, street litter
- Horticulture/agriculture – plastic sheeting, tubing
- Poorly controlled waste sites and illegal dumping – all waste types
- Industrial sites – plastic production and conversion, packaging
- Ship-breaking

Global Partnership on Marine Litter :

GPML is a voluntary, open-ended partnership for governments, international agencies, businesses, academia, local authorities, NGOs and individuals, launched during the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) in June 2012.

Honolulu Strategy

The Honolulu Strategy is a framework for a comprehensive and global effort to reduce the ecological, human health and economic impacts of marine debris. The framework consists of three goals and associated strategies:

8. UN to start allowing deep sea mining operations from July

Subject :Geography

Section: Physical geography

Concept :

After two weeks of negotiations, the International Seabed Authority has decided that it will start taking permit applications in July from companies that want to mine the ocean’s floor.
The undersea mining will be conducted to extract key battery materials — cobalt, copper, nickel, and manganese — from potato-sized rocks called “polymetallic nodules” found at depths of 4 kilometres to 6 kilometres.
The UN’s decision to take deep-sea mining applications comes when there is no mining code in place.
Several countries have insisted that industrial undersea mining should require strict rules.

Deep Sea Mining

Deep sea mining is a growing subfield of experimental seabed mining that involves the retrieval of minerals and deposits from the ocean floor found at depths of 200 metres (660 ft), up to 6,500 metres (21,300 ft).
Where are the deep-sea minerals located?
The deep sea contains three primary sources for mining critical minerals:
Potato-size manganese nodules (rich in manganese, cobalt, copper, nickel, and rare earth elements);
Deposits of sulfur-containing minerals around underwater openings known as hydrothermal vents; and
Cobalt-rich crusts lining the sides of mid-ocean ridges and underwater mountains, also known as seamounts.
The majority of proposed deep sea mining sites are near of polymetallic nodules or active and extinct hydrothermal vents at 1,400 to 3,700 metres below the ocean’s surface.
The vents create globular or massive sulfide deposits, which contain valuable metals such as silver, gold, copper, manganese, cobalt, and zinc.
The deposits are mined using either hydraulic pumps or bucket systems that take ore to the surface to be processed.

Note :

The Clarion-Clipperton Zone that spans 1.7 million square miles between Hawaii and Mexico, and it is a potential hotbed for critical minerals.
The Clipperton Fracture Zone, is a geological submarine fracture zone of the Pacific Ocean, with a length of around 4500 miles (7240 km). The fracture, an unusually mountainous topographical feature, begins east-northeast of the Line Islands and ends in the Middle America Trench off the coast of Central America.

Concern:

The draft decision of ISA’s governing council allows companies to file permit applications from July 9.
In the absence of a mining code, which has been under discussion for nearly 10 years, the 36-member council is uncertain about the process it should adopt for reviewing applications for mining contracts.

Mining Code/ Regulatory Framework

The mining code currently under development lacks sufficient knowledge of the deep sea and a thorough assessment of environmental impacts of mining operations that are necessary to ensure effective protection of deep-sea life, according to IUCN experts.
An effective regulatory framework is needed to avoid lasting harm to the marine environment, based on high-quality environmental impact assessments and mitigation strategies.
These, in turn, must be based on comprehensive baseline studies to improve the understanding of the deep sea, which remains understudied and poorly understood.

United Nations Convention On The Law Of The Sea (UNCLOS)

The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), also called the Law of the Sea Convention or the Law of the Sea Treaty, is an international agreement that establishes a legal framework for all marine and maritime activities.
167 countries and the European Union are parties to the convention.
UNCLOS came into force in 1994.
It lays down a comprehensive regime of law and order in the world’s oceans and seas establishing rules governing all uses of the oceans and their resources.

9. Undue delay in a trial can be a ground for granting bail

Subject: Polity

Section: Judiciary

Concept:

Supreme Court last week held that “undue delay” in a trial can be a ground for granting bail to an accused even under stringent special legislation such as the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985.
The ruling is significant because the bar for bail otherwise is quite high under the law, similar to the standards in anti-terror legislation.

Details

NDPS is an exception to the ordinary rules for granting bail.
Under Section 37 of the Act, for a court to grant bail it has to be satisfied that “that there are reasonable grounds for believing that he is not guilty of such an offence” and that upon release, “isn’t likely to commit any offence.”
This high bar, requiring the accused to prove innocence at the time of seeking bail, ensures getting bail under the law is virtually impossible for certain offences.
Now, the SC has said that the condition seeking the court’s satisfaction to the extent that an accused is not guilty of an offence “has to be interpreted reasonably.”
In a 2008 verdict in ‘Vaman NarainGhiya v. State of Rajasthan’, the Supreme Court has upheld the stringent bail provisions under NDPS.

Undue Delay in Law

The Court said that the stringent conditions under Section 37 of the NDPS Act cannot override the general law for granting bail for undue delay in the trial.
Section 436A of the Code of Criminal Procedure requires an accused to be granted bail if the trial is not concludedwithin specified periods.
Moreover, the expression “reasonable grounds” used in Section 37 is not defined in the statute, thereby widening the scope of judicial interpretation.

Section 436A of CrPC

Section 436A of the CrPC provides, “Where a person has, during the period of investigation, inquiry or trial under this Code of an offence under any law (not being an offence for which the punishment of death has been specified as one of the punishments under that law) undergone detention for a period extending up to one-half of the maximum period of imprisonment specified for that offence under that law, he shall be released by the Court on his personal bond with or without sureties.”
Section 436A also requires that no person shall be detained during the period of investigation, inquiry, or trial for more than the maximum period of imprisonment provided for the offence.

For Further notes on Bail, refer – https://optimizeias.com/bail/

10. Eravikulam National Park gets a fernarium

Subject: Environment

Section: Places in news

Context: Eravikulam National Park (ENP) in Kerala, the natural habitat of the Nilgiritahr in Munnar, has a new attraction — a fernarium set up inside the park. According to officials, this is the first time such a fern collection is being set up in the hill station.

Eravikulam National Park:

Eravikulam National Park is a protected area located in the Idukki district of Kerala, India. It was established in 1978 to protect the endangered Nilgiritahr, which is endemic to the Western Ghats.
Eravikulam National Park is located in the Western Ghats, in the Idukki district of Kerala. It covers an area of 97 square kilometers.
Eravikulam National Park is known for its unique montane grassland ecosystem, which is found in the higher altitudes of the Western Ghats.
Highest peak south of the Himalayas – the Anamudi is located here.
Park receives heavy showers during the southwest (June/July) and retreating (October/November) Monsoons and is one of the wettest area of the World.
The park is home to a number of endemic plant species, including the Neelakurinji, which blooms once every 12 years.
The park is home to a number of species of mammals, birds, and reptiles. The most famous resident of the park is the Nilgiritahr, a species of mountain goat that is endemic to the Western Ghats.
Other mammal species found in the park include the Indian muntjac, Indian porcupine, and stripe-necked mongoose. The park is also home to a variety of bird species, including the Nilgiri pipit, Nilgiri wood pigeon, and Nilgiri flycatcher.
The Nilgiritahr population in the park has been threatened by habitat loss and poaching. The park also faces threats from invasive plant species and tourism-related activities.

Fernarium:

A fernarium is a specialized greenhouse or botanical garden that is devoted to the cultivation and study of ferns. It is a facility where ferns and their close relatives, such as mosses and liverworts, are grown, displayed and studied.
Fernariums are designed to create the ideal conditions for growing ferns, including appropriate levels of humidity, temperature, light, and ventilation. They typically have a variety of specialized equipment, such as misting systems, humidifiers, and shading devices, to maintain these conditions.
Fernariums are important resources for the study of ferns and their ecology, as they provide a controlled environment for experimentation and observation. They also serve as centers for conservation efforts, as many fern species are threatened or endangered due to habitat destruction and other human activities.
Fernariums are popular tourist attractions, as they provide an opportunity for visitors to see and learn about a diverse range of fern species from around the world.

Ferns

A fern (Polypodiopsida or Polypodiophyta) is a member of a group of vascular plants (plants with xylem and phloem).
They are some of the oldest plants on Earth, having first appeared more than 300 million years ago. There are over 10,000 known species of ferns, which are found in a wide variety of habitats around the world, from tropical rainforests to arid deserts and from sea level to high altitudes.
They grow naturally in a soilless condition. The plants obtain water and nutrients through leaching from trees.
Ferns have a unique life cycle that includes both sexual and asexual reproduction. The sexual reproductive phase involves the production of spores, which are dispersed by wind or water and grow into new plants. The asexual reproductive phase involves the growth of rhizomes, which are underground stems that produce new leaves and roots.
Ferns are unique among plants in that they do not have flowers or seeds. Instead, they reproduce by means of spores, which are produced in structures called sporangia.
Ferns are important plants in many ecosystems, providing food and shelter for a variety of animals. They also play a role in soil conservation, as their deep root systems help to stabilize soil and prevent erosion. Many fern species have medicinal properties and are used in traditional medicine to treat a variety of ailments.

11. New butterfly species discovered in Kerala

Subject: Environment

Section: Species in news

Context: Caltoris bromus sadasiva is the first Bromus swift butterfly to be documented in the Western Ghats.

More on the News:

A group of lepidopterists has discovered a butterfly subspecies from the fringes of Akkulam and Vembanad lakes in Kerala.
The newly-described taxon Caltoris bromus sadasiva has been discovered by Travancore Nature History Society research associate KaleshSadasivan.
It is also the first record of the species Bromus swift( Caltorisbromus).
The butterfly was first spotted at Akkulam lake in 2005 and later in Vembanad in 2009 by Dr. Sadasivan, who subsequently reared the species from larvae on the host plant Phragmites karka (tall reed) to confirm the identity of the taxon.

Caltoris bromus sadasiva

Caltoris bromus sadasiva is the first Bromus swift butterfly to be documented in the Western Ghats.
The species Bromus swift (Caltoris Bromus), is a skipper butterfly belonging to the Hesperiidae family of Lepidoptera (moths and butterflies), from the Western Ghats and Peninsular India.
Caltoris is an Indo-Australian genus has over 15 species distributed across southeast Asia.
Caltoris Bromus is one of them and has two other subspecies Caltorisbromusbromus and Caltorisbromusyanuca.
The butterfly has a wingspan of around 3-4 cm and has a dark brown colour with a purple gloss. It has a distinctive thin, curved, purple line on the upper surface of its wings.
The Indian Purple Line is usually found in moist deciduous forests and in degraded forests with a dense undergrowth of shrubs and herbs. It is also found in tea plantations and along streams in hilly areas. The butterfly feeds on the nectar of various plants including the Flame-of-the-forest, wild flowers, and lantana.

12. India has registered a global first of a plant fungus infecting human

Subject: Environment

Section: Species in news

Context: A 61-year-old man from Kolkata has been recently diagnosed with an infection from Chondrostereum Purpureum, a deadly plant fungus, in what is said to be the first such known case in the world.

More on the News:

The fungus, Chondrostereum purpureum, is known to cause Silver leaf disease in plants, especially in species of rose families. However, there were no reported instances of this fungus infecting human beings from any part of the world.
Of the hundreds of millions of fungal species, only a few cause infections in humans. This may be the start of a new phenomenon when plant fungus is adapting to invade human cells by evading the process of ‘phagocytosis’.
The process, which means ‘cell eating’, happens when a cell uses its plasma membrane to engulf a large particle, giving rise to an internal compartment called the ‘phagosome’. Organisms clean and defend themselves by this process.
Rising temperature due to global warming is thought of as one of the major reasons for this new threat to human beings. Most fungi thrive in the range of 12°C to 30°C. However, many species are thermotolerant and can withstand high temperatures.
Global warming means the narrowing of the thermal difference between the human body and its surroundings. Every degree increase in the global average temperature reduces this gradient by about five per cent. This increases the chance of the prevalence of fungal diseases.

Chondrostereum Purpureum:

It is a plant fungus that causes silver leaf disease in plants, particularly those in the rose family.
It is commonly found in temperate regions of the northern and southern hemispheres.
It attacks most species of the rose family Rosaceae, particularly the genus Prunus.
It is often found on old stumps and dead wood, but can also be a serious parasite of living trees.
The disease is progressive and often fatal. Once inside the plant, it grows slowly and can remain latent for years before symptoms develop. Infected plants typically show a distinctive silvering or bluish-gray discoloration of the leaves and a decline in vigor, which can eventually lead to death.
It is spread by airborne spores landing on freshly exposed sapwood.