Daily Current Affairs for UPSC IAS: 7th May 2024

Bhadra Tiger Reserve:

The number of people visiting the Bhadra tiger reserve for safari has gone up and the tourists need to take adequate care not to disturb this eco-sensitive zone

• Bhadra Tiger Reserve is situated in the midst of the Western Ghats region of It is unique as it nestled within several hill ranges.
• It is drained by the river Bhadra and its tributaries.
• It boasts of a substantial tiger population and as such the sanctuary was declared the 25th Project Tiger reserve of India in 1998. The habitat also has an Elephant Reserve.
• It has dry-deciduous, moist-deciduous, shola and semi-evergreen patches.
• Teak, Rosewood, Mathi, Honne, Nandi and many medicinal plants etc.
• Tiger, Leopard, Leopard cat, Dholes, Indian Civet, ungulates like Gaur, Sambar and Barking Deer are common.

Oxytocin : Action Against Use In Dairy Colonies

The Delhi High Court called for action against ‘rampant use of Oxytocin’ in dairy colonies in the national capital.

• Oxytocin is also known as the ‘love hormone’, is a hormone secreted by the pituitary glands of mammals during sex, childbirth, lactation or social bonding.
• It can also be chemically manufactured and is sold by pharma companies for use during childbirth.
• It is administered either as an injection or a nasal solution.
• The drug was banned by the Central government in April 2018, saying that it was being misused on milch cattle to increase yield, which not only affects the health of the cattle but also humans who consumed the milk.
• It helps contract the uterus and induce delivery, control bleeding and promote the release of breast milk.
• Its use is especially crucial to prevent new mothers from excessively bleeding after giving birth—a common cause of maternal deaths.

Eta Aquariid Meteor Shower:

The Eta Aquariid meteor shower, which has been active since April 15, will peak on May 5 and 6.

• Eta Aquariid meteor is formed when Earth passes through the orbital plane of the famous Halley’s Comet, which takes about 76 years to orbit the Sun once.
• It seems to be originating from the Aquarius constellation thats why called Eta Aquariid’.
• It is known for its rapid speed.
• This makes for long, glowing tails which can last up to several minutes.
• About 30 to 40 Eta Aquarid meteors can be seen per hour during the peak of the meteor shower, if observed from the Southern Hemisphere.
• The number decreases to about 10 meteors per hour if being viewed in the Northern Hemisphere.
• This is due to the location of the “radiant” the position in the sky where the meteor shower seems to come from.
• In the Northern Hemisphere, Eta Aquarid meteors most often appear as ‘Earthgrazers’ — long meteors which appear to skim the surface of the Earth.
• In the South, however, they can be seen higher up in the sky and hence are more visible.

#PlayTrue Campaign : NADA

The National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) India recently wrapped up its #PlayTrue Campaign, attracting over 12,133 participants.

• The #PlayTrue Campaign, organized by NADA India, aims to raise awareness about clean sports and anti-doping practices.
• Through activities like quizzes and awareness sessions, it promotes fair play and integrity in sports, aligning with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) vision.
• Sports ethics essentials include promoting fair play, and integrity, and rejecting doping.
• It emphasizes the importance of clean competition and upholding anti-doping regulations to ensure a level playing field for all athletes.

Draft New Explosives Bill:

The government has proposed a new Explosives Bill to replace the outdated Explosives Act of 1884.

• The bill is aimed at regulating the manufacture, possession, use, sale, transport, import, and export of explosives.
• It also aims to increase fines for violations and streamline the licensing process for explosives such as gunpowder and nitroglycerine.

Key highlights of the bill include:

• The bill defines explosives, including substances used to produce practical or pyrotechnic effects by explosion.
• The Central Government will prescribe the authority competent to grant, suspend, or revoke licenses. Currently, the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO) oversees these functions.
• Violating the Act may result in imprisonment for up to three years, a fine of Rs 1,00,000, or both.
• The Central Government can make rules to carry out the provisions of the Act.

FLiRT: New COVID-19 Variants Increase Concern In US

A series of COVID-19 variants within the Omicron JN.1 lineage, known as FLiRT, including the KP.2 and KP 1.1 variants, is rapidly spreading in the United States, exhibiting new mutations which increase their contagiousness.

• The symptoms are largely similar to those of other Omicron infections and hospitalisation rates remain low. KP.2 has reportedly become more prevalent than the JN.1 variant, and while KP.1.1 is present in the US, it is less widespread.
• The Infectious Disease Society of America detailed that “FLiRT” derives from the scientific names of the mutations.
• The ‘Omicron JN.1 lineage’ is a variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which is an offshoot of the Omicron variant, also known as B.1.1.529.
• The lineage was identified by Chinese researchers, leading to its ‘JN.1’ label.
• This variant is characterized by a series of mutations that differ it from the main Omicron lineage.
• However, the severity, infectiousness, and potential resistance to vaccines of this variant are yet to be determined, necessitating continued surveillance and research.

Tornado Struck In West Bengal:

A deadly tornado struck in West Bengal and killed five people and injured over a 100.

• An increasing number of tornadoes have formed across India and caused destruction.
• A warming Bay of Bengal and land, along with anomalous wind patterns could be a reason behind this.
• A tornado is a violently rotating column of air that extends from a cumulonimbus cloud to the Earth’s surface.
• It forms during severe thunderstorms.
• Unlike cyclones which are large-scale weather systems, tornadoes are local and short-lived.
• The formation of a tornado involves a complex interaction between a supercell (a long-lived thunderstorm with a deep, persistently rotating updraft) and the environment.
• Wind shear (changes in wind speed and direction with height) plays a crucial role in creating the necessary conditions for tornado development.
• Tornadoes are more likely to occur in regions where warm, moist air near the surface interacts with cooler, drier air aloft.

Orangutan Treats Wound With Medicinal Plant:

An orangutan named Rakus in Sumatra (Indonesia) treated a facial wound with a medicinal plant called Akar Kuning (Fibraurea tinctoria).Scientists say they’ve observed an orangutan named Rakus appearing to treat a wound with medicine from a tropical plant. It’s the latest example of how some animals attempt to soothe their own ills with remedies found in the wild

• This is the first documented instance of a great ape using a tool with medicinal properties to treat a wound.
• The plant is known for its antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and anti-fungal properties.
• Rakus’ behaviour suggests that wound treatment may have originated in a common ancestor of humans and orangutans.
• Great apes belong to the taxonomic family Hominidae within the primate superfamily Hominoidea.
• Bonobo (Pan paniscus); Chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes); Eastern Gorilla (Gorilla beringei); Western Gorilla (Gorilla gorilla), and orangutans (Pongo) are referred to as great apes due to their large size and humanlike features.

Diplomatic Passport:

After sexual abuse allegations surfaced against Janata Dal (Secular) MP Prajwal Revanna, he fled to Germany using a diplomatic passport.

• Diplomatic passports are issued to individuals representing a country on official diplomatic missions or government business.
• They are used by diplomats, government officials, and sometimes their immediate family members.
• These passports are a form of identification and carry certain legal privileges and immunities under international law, such as immunity from arrest, detention, and certain legal proceedings in the host country.
• In India, the Ministry of External Affairs’ Consular, Passport & Visa Division issues diplomatic passports, also known as ‘Type D’ passports, to individuals falling into several categories:
• Government-appointed individuals and officers working under branches A and B of the Indian Foreign Service (IFS) traveling abroad for official business
• Select individuals on official travel, including union ministers and Members of Parliament (MPs).

Standard Essential Patents: Challenges For India’s Telecom Manufacturing Sector

The judiciary’s involvement in standard essential patents (SEPs) poses challenges for India’s telecom manufacturing sector.

• Standard Essential Patents (SEPs) are patents that cover technologies adopted as industry standards, crucial for ensuring interoperability among different products and systems.
• These patents are essential for implementing a particular standard, and companies that own SEPs commit to licensing them to others on fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory (FRAND) terms.
• In the telecom sector, technologies like CDMA, GSM, and LTE are industry standards.
• Any company manufacturing products compliant with these standards must use technologies covered by SEPs.
• This ensures that devices from different manufacturers can work together seamlessly, benefiting consumers and promoting innovation in the industry.
• The significance of Standard Essential Patents (SEPs) in the telecom sector lies in ensuring compatibility among different cellular phone brands.