Prelims Focus 10th June 2025

DRUM App

In News: The DRUM App is an innovative digital platform designed to streamline and enhance the management of urban waste and recycling processes. 

• Developed with the aim of promoting sustainable waste disposal practices, the app enables users to schedule pickups, track waste collection, and access information on proper segregation and recycling methods. 
• By leveraging real-time data and user-friendly features, DRUM facilitates efficient coordination between residents, municipal authorities, and waste management service providers, thereby reducing environmental pollution and improving urban cleanliness. 
• Additionally, the app often incorporates educational content and incentives to encourage community participation in waste reduction efforts, making it a vital tool in advancing smart city initiatives and fostering eco-friendly habits among citizens.

E-Waste Recycling Eco Park

In News: Delhi has announced the establishment of India’s first E-Waste Recycling Eco Park in Holambi Kalan, marking a significant step towards addressing the growing challenge of electronic waste in the capital. 

• This pioneering initiative aims to create a sustainable ecosystem for the collection, segregation, and recycling of e-waste, thereby reducing environmental pollution and conserving valuable resources. 
• The Eco Park will serve as a hub for promoting the circular economy by encouraging the reuse and responsible disposal of electronic products. 
• Equipped with advanced recycling technologies and awareness programs, the facility is expected to generate employment opportunities while educating citizens about the importance of e-waste management. 
• This project reflects Delhi’s commitment to sustainable urban development and environmental protection, setting a benchmark for other cities across India.

Amoeba

In News: Kerala’s State Public Health Laboratory (PHL) has evolved a molecular diagnostic system to stumble on 5 species of free-living amoeba (FLA) that can cause amoebic meningoencephalitis.

• Amoeba is a kind of single-celled microscopic organism that belongs to the organization protozoa. 
• It is one of the most effective varieties of lifestyles and is determined in water, soil, and different moist environments.
• Key Characteristics:
  • Eukaryotic: It has a properly-described nucleus.
  • Shape-moving: Amoebae have no fixed form; they continuously change form by extending elements in their body called pseudopodia (fake ft).
  • Movement and Feeding: Pseudopodia assist them pass and engulf food particles (a process referred to as phagocytosis).
  • Reproduction: They reproduce asexually through binary fission, where the cell splits into two.

Losgna Occidentalis

In News: The discovery of a new species of parasitic wasp – named ‘Losgna Occidentalis’ from Chandigarh has drawn attention to the unexplored richness of India’s biodiversity.

• The genus Losgna belongs to the family Ichneumonidae, typically called Darwin wasps. These are parasitic wasps recognized for laying eggs in or on other arthropods, as a result playing an important position in biological pest control.
• Parasitic wasps belong to the order Hymenoptera, which also consists of bees and ants.
• They do not build hives, nor do they serve a queen like social bees or ants.
• The genus was last recorded in India in 1965 by the German entomologist Heinrich. Since then, no specimens or data have been observed in Indian collections.
• They serve as natural biocontrol agents via targeting pest species like crop-ingesting bugs.

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