UPSC Essentials | Key terms of the past week with MCQs

— At the time of the survey, conducted by air in 2021, researchers calculated that there were 618 bears left in Western Hudson Bay — the region includes Churchill, the town that is known as ‘the Polar Bear Capital of the World’. When the last survey took place in 2016, there were 842 bears in the area, the AP report said.

— According to the researchers, Western Hudson Bay has witnessed a drop of around 50% in the population of polar bears since the 1980s.

— The survey is yet another addition to the long list of reports and studies that have highlighted the vulnerability of polar bears to climate change. An earlier study published in Nature Climate Change in 2020 warned that polar bears will be wiped out by the end of the century.

— The Arctic sea ice is crucial to polar bears’ survival as they use it not only to hunt seals — their chief food — but also for travelling, mating and resting. However, with rising global temperatures, the sea ice is breaking earlier in summer and refreezing later in winter, due to which polar bears get less time to hunt and have to stay hungry for longer and travel greater distances.

— This extra need for energy coupled with a lack of food can result in body deterioration and a drop in the average weight of adult bears, according to a recent report published in Carbon Brief, a UK-based website covering climate science, climate policy and energy policy. The report also found that the change in the diet leads to a higher mortality rate of bear cubs.

— Another study that came out in 2020 showed that when temperatures soar and there is a lack of ice, female polar bears give birth to smaller litters of bears. It might also lead to the collapse of dens that they build to birth and protect their young.

Importance of polar bears

— Polar bears are one of the most significant predators in the Arctic region and they keep biological populations in balance. The big kills made by them serve as a food resource for scavengers like Arctic foxes and Arctic birds. If polar bears aren’t able to hunt animals like seals, it can severely impact the food chain and health of the ecosystem.

— Researchers have also found that once polar bears can’t find seals to eat, they would quickly move to kill and survive on other creatures in the Arctic region. This would threaten the existence of species like the Arctic fox or the walrus. Moreover, it might also cause the overpopulation of seals, which could endanger the existence of crustaceans and fish that are an important food source for local human populations as well as other Arctic wildlife.

(Source: Polar bears in key Canada region dying: Causes, effects by Alind Chauhan )

Point to ponder: Many environment report warns about species extinction, threat to ecosystems. How indigenous peoples and local communities hold key to revival?

2. MCQ

Which of the following can be threats to the biodiversity of a geographical area?(2012)

1. Global warming

2. Fragmentation of habitat

3. Invasion of alien species

4. Promotion of vegetarianism

Select the correct answer using the codes given below :

(a) 1, 2 and 3 only

(b) 2 and 3 only

(c) 1 and 4 only

(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

— The menu for the feast, as shared by ANI, included Bajra soup, Ragi dosa and roti, Foxtail millet Bisibelebath and Joladha roti among other items. For dessert, Ragi halwa, Jowar halwa and Bajra kheer were three of the offerings.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

What are millets, India’s indigenous foodgrains?

— The term millet is used to describe small-grained cereals like sorghum (jowar), pearl millet (bajra), foxtail millet (kangni/ Italian millet), little millet (kutki), kodo millet, finger millet (ragi/ mandua), proso millet (cheena/ common millet), barnyard millet (sawa/ sanwa/ jhangora), and brown top millet (korale).

— Millets were among the first crops to be domesticated. There is evidence for consumption of millets in the Indus-Sarasvati civilisation (3,300 to 1300 BCE). Several varieties that are now grown around the world were first cultivated in India. West Africa, China, and Japan are also home to indigenous varieties of the crop.

— Millets are now grown in more than 130 countries, and are the traditional food for more than half a billion people in Asia and Africa. Globally, sorghum (jowar) is the biggest millet crop. The major producers of jowar are the United States, China, Australia, India, Argentina, Nigeria, and Sudan. Bajra is another major millet crop; India and some African countries are major producers.

— In India, millets are mainly a kharif crop. During 2018-19, three millet crops — bajra (3.67%), jowar (2.13%), and ragi (0.48%) — accounted for about 7 per cent of the gross cropped area in the country, Agriculture Ministry data show.

Where are millets produced (and consumed)?

— Jowar is mainly grown in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, and Madhya Pradesh. In 2020-21, the area under jowar stood at 4.24 million hectares, while production was 4.78 million tonnes. Maharashtra accounted for the largest area (1.94 mn ha) and production (1.76 million tonnes) of jowar during 2020-21.

— Bajra is mainly grown in Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Karnataka. Of the total 7.75 mn ha under bajra in 2020-21, the highest (4.32 mn ha) was in Rajasthan. The state also produced the most bajra in the country (4.53 million tonnes of the total 10.86 million tonnes) in 2020-21.

(Source: Ministry of Agriculture)

— The consumption of millets was reported mainly from these states: Gujarat (jowar and bajra), Karnataka (jowar and ragi), Maharashtra (jowar and bajra), Rajasthan (bajra), and Uttarakhand (ragi).

Why are millets “good”?

— Millets are eco-friendly crops – they require much less water than rice and wheat, and can be grown in rainfed areas without additional irrigation.  According to a 2019 study, “wheat and rice have the lowest green water footprints but the highest blue water footprints, while millets were exactly opposite.” Green water footprint refers to water from precipitation whereas blue water refers to water from land sources. Thus, millets require the least amount of irrigation to be grown.

— They are also highly nutritious. On April 10, 2018, the Agriculture Ministry declared certain varieties of millets as “Nutri Cereals” for the purposes of production, consumption, and trade. These include Jowar, bajra, ragi/ mandua, the minor millets — kangani/ kakun, cheena, kodo, sawa/ sanwa/ jhangora, and kutki — and the two pseudo millets, buckwheat (kuttu) and amaranth (chaulai).

— The Story of Millets published by the Karnataka State Department of Agriculture in association with ICAR-Indian Institute of Millets Research, Hyderabad, says, “Millets contain 7-12% protein, 2-5% fat, 65-75% carbohydrates and 15-20% dietary fibre… Small millets are more nutritious compared to fine cereals. They contain higher protein, fat and fibre content.”

2023: the Year of Millets

— On March 3, 2021, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted a resolution to declare 2023 as the International Year of Millets. The proposal, moved by India, was supported by 72 countries. Several events and activities, including conferences and field activities, and the issuing of stamps and coins, are expected as part of the celebrations aimed at spreading awareness about millets, inspiring stakeholders to improve production and quality, and attracting investments.

(Source: What are millets, the grains on PM Narendra Modi’s lunch menu?)

Point to ponder: Why India’s push for millets is yet to gain widespread traction?

3. MCQ

With reference to Millets, consider the following statements :

1. Declaration of 2023 as the International Year of Millets.

2. Millets consume less water than wheat and rice.

3. Millets were among the first crops to be domesticated.

4. Globally, finger millet (Ragi) is the biggest millet crop.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 1, 3 and 4

(c) 1, 2 and 3

(d) All of the above

FOG

Why in news?

— For two consecutive mornings, dense fog has enveloped northwestern India, including Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, parts of Uttar Pradesh, and parts of Rajasthan. The fog episodes, which follow a comparatively warm start to the winter, are likely to recur over the Indo Gangetic Plain for the next three days, keeping visibility poor in the hours before and after daybreak.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Abhinaya Harigovind writes: