Prelims Focus – 7th May 2024

Red Squirrels as host of Leprosy

Context: Archaeological findings suggest that red squirrels in mediaeval England played a significant role as carriers of leprosy-causing strains of Mycobacterium leprae.

Details:

• The mediaeval city of Winchester had a leprosarium and was involved in the fur trade. 
• Leprosy is still a problem in certain parts of the world, and research has shown that armadillos, red squirrels, and chimpanzees can also carry the leprosy bacteria. 
• The red squirrel is a tree-dwelling, herbivorous rodent with a long tail for balance and warmth. 
• It has sharp claws for climbing, can swim, and its coat colour varies by region. 
• Red squirrels eat seeds, nuts, berries, and occasionally bird eggs. 
• They store extra food in caches and can live up to 7 years in the wild.

Impact of Climate Change on India’s Dairy Sector

Context: According to a report in The Lancet, increasing temperatures in India could lead to a 25% decrease in milk production by 2085, posing a significant threat to both livelihoods and nutrition in the country.

Details:

• India leads in global milk production and consumption, with the northern plains contributing significantly.
• Majority of India’s milk production comes from 89 million smallholder dairy farmers.
• Heat stress affects dairy cattle, with THI levels exceeding 80 during summers in northern India, leading to milk production losses.
• Government initiatives include identifying heat-tolerant traits in cattle, promoting indigenous breeds, and implementing climate-resilient practices through KVK.
• Challenges include prioritising resilient traits in breeding programs, scaling up climate-smart practices, and the need for a national-level approach for adoption.

Hippopotamuses

In News: Recently hundreds of hippopotamuses have been stuck in a dry channel in the Okavango Delta, Botswana.

• • Hippopotamuses, also referred to as hippos or the river horse, are huge semi-aquatic mammals with an enormous head and frame, and brief legs and tail.  
  • The hippo is taken into consideration to be the heaviest land animal after the elephant.
  • The ears, eyes, and nostrils are placed high on the top so that the rest of the body may remain submerged.
  • There are two species of hippopotamuses, the common river hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibious) and the smaller pygmy hippopotamus (Choeropsis liberiensis).

• Habitat and Distribution: 

• • • Common river hippopotamuses are local to sub-Saharan Africa. 
    • Pygmy hippos are determined within the tropical rainforests and swamps of 4 West African countries: Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone.

• Threats: 

• • • Hunting (for meat or ivory) and habitat loss.

• Protection status: 

• • The not unusual hippopotamus is assessed at the IUCN Red List as vulnerable. 
  • The pygmy hippopotamus is assessed on the IUCN Red List as endangered.

Blue Corner Notice of Interpol

In News: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) likely to issue a Blue Corner Notice against a Member of Parliament, who fled to Germany on a diplomatic passport after allegations of sexual abuse.

• It is an effective tool in global law enforcement and a part of Interpol’s complex system of color-coded notices.
• It is issued to collect extra records about someone’s identification, area, or activities in relation to a criminal investigation.
• It permits nations to share indicators and requests for records on wanted individuals or crimes worldwide.
• CBI refers to Blue Notices as ‘B Series (Blue) Notices’ or ‘Enquiry Notices’ that are issued ‘to have someone’s identity established; to reap particulars of a person’s criminal document; to discover a person who’s lacking or is an recognized or unidentified worldwide criminal or is wanted for a violation of regular criminal law and whose extradition may be requested.

Percolation Wells

In News: The Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board has constructed more than 900 percolation/recharge wells across the city within a span of one month. 

• Percolation wells are designed to capture rainwater so that the groundwater desk is restored, conserved and recharged because the created percolation and filtration environment triggers natural aquifers.
• Percolation wells are 12 feet deep and 4 ft wide earthen dams padded with concrete rings inner and packed with gravel in order that rainwater gets trapped into it and percolates all the way down to natural aquifers.
• Rain falls into the percolation nicely, water leaks into the soil in multiple layers and it is going down to the floor and natural aquifers get activated, instead of permitting rainwater to run off or form a cesspool and evaporate.

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