Prelims Focus 5th May 2025

Hesaraghatta conservation reserve

In News: The Government of Karnataka has officially notified the 5,678-acre Hesaraghatta grasslands near Bengaluru as the Greater Hesaraghatta Grassland Conservation Reserve under Section 36A of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. 

• This declaration, formalized by a gazette notification in February 2025 after cabinet approval in January 2025, aims to protect this unique grassland ecosystem from severe threats posed by urbanization, real estate development, and inappropriate land use changes. 
• The reserve is the last remaining large grassland habitat in the Bengaluru region and serves as a critical biodiversity reservoir. It supports endangered and vulnerable species such as the Lesser Florican, Red-necked Falcon, Indian leopard, smooth-coated otters, and numerous migratory birds from Europe, Central Asia, and the Himalayas. 
• The area also hosts 13 amphibian species, 111 butterfly species, and nearly 400 insect species, making it an ecologically rich and sensitive zone.
• Besides biodiversity, the reserve plays a vital hydrological role as a major catchment for the Arkavathi River, Thippagondanahalli reservoir, and Hesaraghatta lake. 
• It helps recharge groundwater levels and acts as a sponge to absorb monsoon runoff, benefiting thousands of farmers and contributing to Bengaluru’s water security.

Gundaram Inscriptions

In News: The recent discovery of 11 ancient inscriptions in the Gundaram Reserve Forest, Telangana, has provided important new evidence about the political and cultural landscape of the early Deccan, particularly during the Satavahana period (1st century BCE to 6th century CE).

Key Highlights from the Inscriptions:

• Political Alliance: Two inscriptions from a rock shelter at Gundaram are especially significant. One of these mentions a figure from the Hāritiputra lineage-likely associated with the Chutu dynasty-described as a mitasa (friend) of Kumāra Hakusiri, a Satavahana prince. This suggests a cordial relationship or political alliance between the Satavahanas and the Chutus, who were contemporaries and sometimes vassals in the Deccan region.
• Dynastic Interactions: The mention of the Hāritiputra lineage in connection with Kumāra Hakusiri provides corroborative evidence for theories about inter-dynastic cooperation and alliances in the early Deccan. This supports the idea that the Satavahanas maintained strategic relationships with neighboring dynasties to consolidate their power.
• Religious Patronage: The inscription records that this Hāritiputra figure excavated a cave for the benefit of Buddhist monks, indicating not only political but also religious patronage and the spread of Buddhism in the region.
• Historical Context: The findings reinforce previous evidence that Telangana (specifically the Asmaka region) was an integral part of the Satavahana realm, contributing to the understanding of early Indian polity and regional dynamics.

Western Disturbance

In News: The weather conditions had been brought on by a clean Western Disturbance over northern and northwestern parts of the country experiencing heavy rainfall. 

• Western Disturbances are cyclonic storms that form over land. These are called mid latitude or more tropical cyclones, due to development within the mid and high latitude.
• They occur often within the Mediterranean area because of a temperature gradient resulting from the mixing of warm air from the tropics and cold air from the northern polar areas.
• They accumulate moisture from the Mediterranean Sea, Black Sea and Caspian Sea and traverse over Iran and Afghanistan before hitting the western Himalayas.
• While the storm structures occur during the year, they travel to India on the whole between December and April due to the trajectory of the subtropical westerly jet flow.

Mt. Makalu

In News: The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) correctly climbed Mt. Makalu (8,485 m) in the course of its first-ever twin summit day trip to Mt. Makalu and Mt. Annapurna, both in Nepal. 

• It is 20 km east of Everest in the Khumbu place and is the 5th highest mountain in the world. 
• It lies within the Makalu Barun National Park and is understood for its perfect pyramid form with 4 sharp ridges. 
• North of the mountain lies Tibet and it has two subsidiary peaks.
• Kangchungtse, or Makalu II, 7,678 m lies north-northwest of the main summit. 
  • The other is Chomo Lonzo which lies just north of the main peak.

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