Also in News

Posted 16 Apr 2024

8 min read

Exercise Dustlik

It is joint military exercise between Indian and Uzbekistan Army, conducted every year.

Cotton farmers in North India may shift to paddy, maize, and guar due to severe PBW infestation.

About PBW (Pectinophora gossypiella)
- The disease is common in cotton crops.
- PBW larvae burrow into developing fruits (bolls) of cotton plants, and damage affects both the weight and quality of harvested bolls.
- Issue:
  - Pink bollworms have developed resistance to genetically modified pest-resistant Bt cotton over time.

Management Strategies
- Adoption of highly productive short-duration hybrids that would escape PBW.
- Crop rotation to break the lifecycle of PBW.
- PB Knot technology disrupts the mating prospects of pests.

About Jiadhal River
- It is a north-bank tributary of Brahmaputra.
- Originates in lower Himalayan ranges in Arunachal Pradesh.
- Flows through Assam and meets Brahmaputra near Majuli Island.
- It is example of flashy river and produces floods with sudden, high discharge over short time interval and with high sediment load and debris.
- It frequently changes its course during flash floods.

Water levels have dropped to 13% of its capacity in Lake Kariba, due El Nino induced drought.
- El Niño is a climate pattern characterized by unusual warming of surface waters in eastern tropical Pacific Ocean.

About Lake Kariba
- It provides electric power to both Zambia and Zimbabwe.
- It lies between Zambia and Zimbabwe.
- It was formed by damming Zambezi River in 1955.

About Gray Slender Loris (Loris lydekkerianus)
- Geographic Range: Found in India and Sri Lanka.
- Habitats: Tropical rainforests, scrub forests, semi-evergreen forests, swamps.
- Characteristics
  - Nocturnal animal.
  - Lean and lanky appearance, with longer and slender limbs, larger ears, pointed snout and eyes circled with black or dark brown.
  - Slow movers and foragers, they nest near large insect colonies for easy meals.
  - They are Viviparous (producing living young instead of eggs).
- Threat: Habitat Loss, Electrocution on power lines etc.
- Conservation Status
  - IUCN: Near Threatened.

Nigeria became first country in world to introduce Men5CV vaccine, recommended by WHO.
- It offers protection against five strains of meningococcus bacteria in a single shot.
- Meningococcal ACWY Vaccine is the one available in India.

About Meningitis
- It is inflammation of surrounding tissues of brain and spinal cord.
- Caused by bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites.
- Mostly transmitted from person to person.
- Although it affects all ages, young children are most at risk.
- Symptoms are neck stiffness, fever, confusion, headaches, nausea.

World Chagas Disease Day was observed by the World Health Organisation on April 14.

About Chagas Disease
- Life-threatening illness caused by protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi.
- Found mainly in Latin American countries, where it is mostly vector-borne.
- Transmitted by triatomine bug (vector-borne), and orally (food-borne), during pregnancy or birth (congenital), through blood/blood products, or organ transplantation.
- Often called “silent disease” because of no symptoms either during acute or chronic phases of infection until damage is too advanced to be reversed.
- The disease is clinically curable if treatment is initiated at an early stage.

About Rongali/Bohag Bihu
- Celebrated in middle of April, it marks the beginning of Assamese New Year and onset of spring.
- There are 3 Bihu festivals in Assam. Other two- Kati Bihu and Magh Bihu are celebrated in October and January, respectively.
- It is a 7 day festival, where first day is called Goru Bihu followed by Manuh Bihu, Guxai Bihu etc.
- Similar festival in other states - Baisakhi (Punjab), Puthandu (Tamil Nadu), Vishu (Kerala), and Pohela Baisakh (West Bengal).