UPSC Key | Crows, India-Bangladesh Relations, Nalanda University and more

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Front

A murder of crows: How Kenya plans to get rid of the native Indian species

UPSC Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Environment

Mains Examination:  GS-III: Environment

What’s the ongoing story- After decades of trying to control its population of crows, the Kenyan government plans to poison 1 million house crows by December 31.

Prerequisites:

— What are invasive species?

— Impact of invasive species on the ecosystem

— Map work: Location of Kenya

Key takeaways: 

— The proliferation of the Indian house crow (Corvus splendens) has severely impacted local ecosystems and communities in East African countries, including Kenya.

— A species that’s native to India, house crows often attack indigenous birds, kill them and feed on their eggs. Crows usually work as a team — for instance, if one attacks a bird and chases it away from its nest, the other swoops in to steal the eggs.

— Experts say this aggressive behaviour of the crows has forced several native birds to leave their natural habitat. In Kenya, birds such as scaly babblers, pied crows, sunbirds, weaver birds, and waxbills have been displaced by house crows.

— It is not just native birds; crows are known to torment and kill newborn or sick calves and goats and eat a range of small reptiles, amphibians, mammals, and insects.

— Local communities have suffered too — crows damage fruit trees such as mango and guava, and raid crops, including wheat, maize, millet, rice, and sunflowers, leading to losses for local farmers.

— There are multiple accounts of how a species that’s native to India and the subcontinent, besides other parts of Asia and the Middle East, began to be spotted in East Africa sometime in the 1890s.

— Regardless of how these crows reached East Africa, their arrival brought a new set of problems. Within a few years, their population skyrocketed, and by 1917, Zanzibar had declared them pests and put a bounty on their heads

For Your Information:

— This is not the first time that an attempt will be made to eliminate house crows in Kenya. “From the 1980s till 2005, there was a low-level control happening in the country by poisoning the house crows,” said Dr Colin Jackson of A Rocha Kenya.

— Poisoning seems to be the most effective way to eliminate the house crows. Shooting or trapping them does not work as these birds are intelligent enough to avoid areas where they witness other crows dying or being trapped.

Points to Ponder: 

— What is the IUCN status of crows?

— What is the status of crows under the Wildlife Protection Act?

— What are the invasive alien species in India?

— What are the Initiatives Related to the Management of Invasive Alien Species in India?

Post Read Question:

Consider the following statements:

1. The IUCN status of Corvus splendens is vulnerable.

2. Corvus splendens are protected under Schedule II of the Wildlife Protection Act.

3. They are native to India, Bangladesh and Nepal.

4. In their native range, they are under severe pressure by the Indian koel, specialised in parasitising their nests.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

(a) 1 and 3 only

(b) 2, 3 and 4 only

(c) 2 and 4 only

(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

The trickery and tender love of crows

Delhi, Dhaka set new ball rolling on economy, trade, strategic ties

UPSC Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance

Mains Examination: GS-II: India and its neighbourhood- relations.

What’s the ongoing story- India and Bangladesh pledged Saturday to start negotiations on a comprehensive economic partnership agreement (CEPA); decided to launch a medical e-visa facility for Bangladesh citizens; agreed to send a technical team to discuss Teesta river water-sharing and announced the opening of an Assistant High Commission in Rangpur.

Prerequisites:

— What is the history of India-Bangladesh bilateral relations?

— What is a comprehensive economic partnership agreement (CEPA)?

— Map work: Location of Bangladesh and Indian states sharing boundaries with Bangladesh.

Key takeaways: 

— Four key imperatives seem to shape New Delhi’s renewed strategic engagement with Dhaka in Modi’s third term: health of Bangladesh’s economy; addressing Bangladeshis’ medical needs; expanding India’s footprint while trying to check Beijing’s.

— The decision to start negotiations on the CEPA was taken in view of the fact that Bangladesh is India’s biggest trade partner in South Asia and India is the second biggest trade partner of Bangladesh in Asia. India is Bangladesh’s largest export destination in Asia, with approximately $2 billion of Bangladeshi exports to India in FY 2022-23.

— The medical e-visa facility is a major step towards bringing relief to Bangladesh citizens who come to India for their medical treatment in Indian hospitals. In 2023, about 16 lakh visas were issued to people of Bangladesh and it is estimated that about 20-30 per cent of them were for the purpose of medical treatment. A medical e-visa would simplify and speed up the process.

— The decision to send an Indian technical team to explore the conservation and management of Teesta River inside Bangladesh is significant in the wake of Chinese interest in the project. An AHC is a mid-size diplomatic establishment, in size and scale between an embassy and a consulate.

— After the meeting between the two leaders, Indian and Bangladesh officials signed seven documents on digital partnership, green partnership, maritime cooperation and blue economy, space cooperation, railway connectivity, oceanography, defence and strategic operation studies, and renewed three pacts on health and medicine, disaster management and fisheries.

Points to Ponder: 

— What are the areas of cooperation and conflict between India and Bangladesh?

— How does growing Chinese influence in Bangladesh pose a new challenge for India?

— What is the significance of Bangladesh for India?

Post Read Question:

With reference to river Teesta, consider the following statements: (UPSC CSE 2017)

1. The source of river Teesta is the same as that of Brahmaputra but it flows through Sikkim.

2. River Rangeet originates in Sikkim and it is a tributary of river Teesta.

3. River Teesta flows into the Bay of Bengal on the border of India and Bangladesh.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 and 3 only

(b) 2 only

(c) 2 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

The foreign hand in Bangladesh – and concerns for India

Faster immigration at Delhi Airport for Indian nationals, OCIs

UPSC Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance

Mains Examination: GS-II, III: Transparency & Accountability, IT & Computers

What’s the ongoing story- Indian nationals and Overseas Citizens of India (OCIs) can now experience a faster immigration process at the Delhi airport and, in due course, at other major airports in India with the implementation of a biometrics-based system.

Prerequisites:

— Who are Overseas Citizens of India (OCIs)?

— What is the facial recognition technology?

— What is biometrics authentication?

Key takeaways: 

— Union Home Minister Amit Shah Saturday inaugurated the ‘Fast Track Immigration – Trusted Traveller Programme’ (FTI-TTP) system at Terminal 3 of the Indira Gandhi International Airport. The facility will be extended to the airports at Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kochi and Ahmedabad, apart from 13 other airports in phases, said the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). It will later be extended to foreign nationals.

— The system, according to the MHA, will capture passenger biometrics that will be maintained in a database. This will be used to carry out real-time verification of travellers who can then pass through automated gates with minimal human intervention.

— “The objective of this programme is to make international travel easy and secured by developing world-class immigration facilities through an accelerated immigration pathway for international travellers screened through automated gates (e-Gates),” it said.

— According to MHA, the FTI-TTP system will be implemented through an online portal. The Bureau of Immigration will be the nodal agency for fast-tracking immigration of various categories of travellers under this programme.

— After verification, a white list of “trusted travellers” will be generated and sent to the automated gates. The biometrics of the “trusted traveller” will be captured at the Foreigners Regional Registration office or at the time of passage through the airport. The TTP registration will be valid till the validity of the passport or five years, whichever is earlier, and will be renewed thereafter.

Points to Ponder: 

— What are the potential applications of biometric technology?

— What are the dangers associated with biometric technology?

Post Read Question:

In addition to fingerprint scanning, which of the following can be used in the biometric identification of a person? (UPSC CSE 2014)

1. Iris scanning

2. Retinal scanning

3. Voice recognition

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 and 3 only

(c) 1 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

Delhi HC upholds decision barring OCIs from representing India in International Mathematical Olympiad

 

Opinion

Travelogues tell us the story of Nalanda’s rise

UPSC Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: History of India

Mains Examination: GS-I:  Indian Heritage and Culture

What’s the ongoing story- Earlier this week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the campus of Nalanda University. The extant University is only a decade old. But roughly 12 km away lie the ruins of the eponymous Nalanda mahavihara — one of the greatest centres of knowledge in the ancient world.

Prerequisites:

— What is mahavihara?

— What is the significance of Buddhism?

— Where is Nalanda University located?

Key takeaways: 

— The history of Nalanda — from comprehensive descriptions of the mahavihara, to its origin story and the rules students had to follow — has primarily been written based on Buddhist manuscripts, and travelogues by Chinese and Tibetan pilgrims. Since the early 20th century, modern archaeological evidence has been used to corroborate (or sometimes challenge) these literary sources.

— Most quoted among the literary sources is the travelogue of 7th century Chinese pilgrim Xuanzang (also known as Hsuan Tsang or Mokshadeva), who travelled across India from 629–645 CE in search of Buddhist manuscripts and “correct” teachings. He spent roughly five years in Nalanda, where he studied under the mahavihara’s grand abbot, Silabhadra.

— According to Xuanzang, the first vihara was built at the site in the 1st century BCE.

— Chinese monk Faxian (also known as Fa Hien), who journeyed through Magadh in the beginning of the 5th century CE, did not even mention Nalanda mahavihara. In fact, the earliest archaeological evidence from the ruins of Nalanda — a coin inscribed with the name of Shakraditya (known in non-Buddhist sources as Kumaragupta I, the son of Chandragupta II “Vikramaditya”) — can be dated to between 415-55 CE, when Shakraditya reigned.

— Xuanzang too recognised the contributions of Shakraditya and his successors.

— By the time Xuanzang arrived in the 630s CE, Nalanda mahavihara was in its heyday — “priests, belonging to the convent, or strangers residing therein always reach to the number of 10,000…”

— But Xuanzhang was not immune from exaggeration. Scholars who study him, by and large, agree that his writings are a “mix of the implausible, the hearsay and a firsthand account”. Available evidence does not corroborate his claim of 10,000 Nalanda residents, a figure that is still commonly cited.

— Yijing’s writings provide a very detailed account of life in Nalanda, which he describes as the “best overall monastery” in the west (of China). For instance, he gave a detailed account of monks’ daily bathing ritual.

— Nalanda was built and sustained by wealthy patrons, from merchants to kings. In Education in Ancient India (2002), Sanskritist Hartmut Scharfe wrote that patrons were not limited to only Buddhists, with “the emblems on their seals show(ing) Lakshmi, Ganesha, Shivalinga and Durga”.

— Royal patronage likely began with the Gupta dynasty in the 5th century CE.  After the Guptas, Harshavaradhana of Kannauj (known in Buddhist sources as Siladitya) was the most notable patron.

— Even though royal patronage continued into the reign of the Palas (8th-12th century CE), it witnessed a gradual decline due to a number of competing monasteries such as Vikramshila and Somapura came up during the Pala reign.

— The invasions of the likes of warlord Bhakhtiyar Khalji (late in the 12th Century) were also responsible for Nalanda’s decay, albeit their impact is overstated in popular imagination.

— The Buddhism that did survive veered sharply towards more tantric and esoteric versions, which borrowed majorly from Brahmanical religion, not the Mahayana Buddhism that Nalanda propagated.

— Socio-political changes also played a part in Nalanda’s decline. “In the eleventh century Islam replaced Buddhism as the greatest trading religion of Asia while the agrarian world within India was gradually lost to the Brahmins,” according to historian Pintu Kumar.

For Your Information:

— In total, 17 countries other than India — Australia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Laos, Mauritius, Myanmar, New Zealand, Portugal, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam — have helped set up of the university. Ambassadors of these countries attended the inauguration ceremony.

Points to Ponder: 

— What is the cultural significance of the Nalanda University?

— The growing role of Buddhism in India’s soft-power strategy

— Dynasties associated with the Nalanda University

Post Read Question:

Consider the following statements:

1. Xuanzang visited Nalanda in the 7th century CE and studied under the mahavihara’s grand abbot, Silabhadra.

2. Huili, the biographer of Xuanzang, mentioned the contributions of Shakraditya and his successors in the development of Nalanda University.

3. Chinese pilgrim Yijing visited the Nalanda University just before it was destroyed by Bakhtiyar Khalji.

How many of the above statements are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) All three

(d) None

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

As a new campus rises at an ancient site, the story of Nalanda

EYE, The Sunday Express Magazine

Ferocious Plants

UPSC Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Environment

Mains Examination:  GS-III: Environment and Biodiversity

What’s the ongoing story- Ranjit Lal writes- “In hostile surroundings, one can find carnivorous plants and even those that strangle host plants for their survival.”

Prerequisites:

— What are carnivorous plants?

— What are the different types of carnivorous plants?

— Read about the Venus flytrap and its conservation status.

Key takeaways: 

— “On the top of the list of ferocious plants are of course the carnivorous ones, the leading lights of which belong to the renowned sundew family. One illustrious member is the Venus flytrap, which uses a deadly gin trap design in its leaves, backed up by a timing mechanism that ensures it doesn’t snap shut when say, a raindrop falls on it, but will, if it’s a fly.”

— “There are a whole host of such plants, each with their own devious traps. Some like the notorious Nepenthes rajah may grow 41 cm high and 20 cm wide, its tankard-like bloom holding up to 3 litres of nectar-water, and another 2.5 litres of digestive juices, into which insects and thirsty rodents, lizards, and small birds fall, drown and dissolve.”

— “In defence of these kattar carnivores, it has to be said that they grow in areas with very poor soil — in marshy, boggy areas — that are low in nutrients.”

— “Plants can (and have to) be ferocious with other plants too. In dense forests, very little (as low as 2 per cent) sunlight penetrates to the forest floor, and without the sun, no plant can survive. So, every plant aims to get as high up in the forest canopy (preferably to the top) where its leaves, usually broad, can catch as much of the sun as possible as quickly as possible…. To do so, these lianas and vines will wind around other supporting plants and trees and throw lassos across trees to form bridges (useful for small animals). They are rooted in the ground and compete ferociously with the supporting plant for nutrients, water and sunlight. They stunt the host tree’s growth and ability to produce seeds.”

— “One of the most notorious of this clan is the strangler figs — the banyan being one among them. A bird deposits a sticky seed high up in a tree, the seed puts down a root, and sends up a stalk, with leaves. More roots emerge, clasping and encasing the trunk of the host tree like a nest full of pythons, gradually garroting it, while up above its leaves successfully compete with the host tree’s leaves for sunlight. For the host tree, it is death by extremely slow strangulation and as its trunk rots away. All that is left is a fretwork of free-standing prop roots, hollow at the centre; always a rather disconcerting sight.”

— “Epiphytes, like orchids, ferns and mosses are not quite as deadly. While they do grow from the trunks and branches of trees, using them for support, they get their sustenance from the leaf debris and rainwater that collects in the canopy. They are shallow-rooted and easily removed.”

— “Trees are known to use the ‘wood-wide-web’ to exchange nutrients via hyphae, filamentous fungi threads at the ends of their roots, helping each other in times of need.”

Points to Ponder: 

— What is Nepenthes Rajah?

— What are strangler figs?

— What is wood-wide-web?

Post Read Question:

Which among the following are carnivorous plants?

1. Venus flytrap

2. Pitcher Plant

3. Dewy Pine

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 1 and 3 only

(c) 2 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

Express Network

UAPA tribunal confirms 5-yr ban on two Kashmir separatist groups

UPSC Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Indian Polity and Governance

Mains Examination: GS-II: Polity, Constitution

What’s the ongoing story- The Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Tribunal on Saturday confirmed the Centre’s decision to impose a five-year ban on Muslim League Jammu & Kashmir (Masrat Alam faction) and the Tehreek-e-Hurriyat Jammu & Kashmir under the anti-terror law.

Prerequisites:

— What is the role of the tribunal?

— What was the need to enact UAPA?

— What is the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Tribunal?

Key takeaways: 

— The Tribunal, presided by Delhi High Court’s Justice Sachin Datta, observed that the two groups were Pakistan-sponsored organisations carrying out secessionist activities in Jammu & Kashmir  with the aim of merging it with Pakistan and also to establish Islamic rule there.

For Your Information:

— The UAPA gives powers to the government to probe and prosecute people for acts of terrorism, and to designate an organisation as an “unlawful association” or a “terrorist organisation”, or an individual as a “terrorist”.

— It was enacted on the recommendation of the National Integration Council, set up in 1961 to find ways to counter problems that were dividing the country. In 1962, the Council constituted a committee that recommended introduction of “reasonable restrictions” in the exercise of certain fundamental rights. The UAPA was enacted with the objective of implementing these restrictions. However, in its original form, the Act largely dealt with secessionist activities, with no explicit mention of terrorism.

— In 2004, the Act was amended for the first time, with “and for dealing with terrorist activities” added to its title. The UPA government had repealed the much criticised Prevention of Terrorist Activities Act (POTA) that year, and the amendment to the UAPA sought to fill the void left by it.

— In 2012, the UAPA was further amended to include “economic security” of the country in the ambit of terrorism. Under this, the statute went on to designate production, smuggling and distribution of counterfeit Indian currency as a terrorist act.

Points to Ponder: 

— What are the concerns regarding the UAPA?

— What are the provisions of bail under UAPA?

— What measures need to be taken to address these concerns with UAPA?

Post Read Question:

The Indian government has recently strengthed the anti-terrorism laws by amending the Unlawful Activities(Prevention) Act, (UAPA), 1967 and the NIA Act. Analyze the changes in the context of prevailing security environment while discussing scope and reasons for opposing the UAPA by human rights organizations. (UPSC CSE 2019)

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

Kashmiri students held: How UAPA has become more draconian over the years

 

World 

US aircraft carrier arrives in South Korea for military drills

UPSC Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance

Mains Examination: GS-II: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.

What’s the ongoing story- A nuclear-powered U.S. aircraft carrier, the Theodore Roosevelt, arrived in South Korea’s port city of Busan on Saturday for joint military exercises this month with the host nation and Japan, the naval officials said.

Prerequisites:

— What are ‘Freedom Edge’ drills?

— Map work: Japan, South Korea, North Korea, China,  South China Sea, major island and reef formations in the South China Sea. (Refer Atlas)

Key takeaways: 

— The three countries agreed at a summit last August to hold annual military training drills as they sought to project unity in the face of China’s growing power and nuclear threats from North Korea.

— This month’s drill called “Freedom Edge” will involve the three countries’ navies and include maritime, anti-submarine exercises and air defence exercises. The Theodore Roosevelt would serve as the command ship for the drills.

For Your Information:

— In the face of growing North Korean threats, the United States, South Korea and Japan have expanded their combined training and boosted the visibility of strategic US military assets in the region, seeking to intimidate the North.

Points to Ponder: 

— What is the significance of joint military exercises?

— What are the joint military exercises of India and Japan?

— What are the joint military exercises of India and the US?

Post Read Question:

Which of the following pairs are correct?

1. SIMBEX- India and Singapore

2. Samudra Shakti- India and Indonesia

3. JIMEX- India and Japan

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 2 and 3 only

(c) 1 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

US aircraft carrier arrives in South Korea as a show of force against nuclear-armed North Korea

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