Facts in News

 

Facts in News

Snow Leopard

  • Scientific Name: Panthera uncia.
  • Habitat: Cold High Mountains.
    • These are found in 12 countries including China, Bhutan, Nepal, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Russia & Mongolia.
  • Diet: Carnivore & hunt blue sheep, Argali wild sheep, ibex, marmots, pikas, hares, etc.
  • Features
    • One of the world’s most elusive cats & are perfectly equipped to thrive in extreme, high-elevation habitats.
    • Insulated with thick white-gray coats spotted with large black rosettes & wide, fur-covered feet act as natural snowshoes. Tail helps in balancing and also covers the body while sleeping.
    • Shy & rarely seen in the wild.
  • Threats
    • Increased conflict due to expansion of human settlement & livestock grazing.
    • Poaching for trade in body parts and fur.
    • Climate change & shrinkage in habitat.
  • Conservation
    • Establishment of protected areas like sanctuaries & corridors.
    • Strengthen enforcement against poaching.
    • Building awareness.
  • Protection Status
    • IUCN Red List: Vulnerable.
    • Wildlife Protection Act, 1972: Schedule I.

 

(Image Courtesy: WWFIndia)

Cotton Pygmy Goose

  • Scientific Name: Nettapus coromandelianus.
  • Habitat: Freshwater wetlands with extensive floating vegetation especially water lilies.
    • They are distributed in South East Asia & parts of eastern Australia.
  • Features
    • Tiny duck belonging to the anatidae family which is constituted by ducks, geese and swans.
    • Male has a bright white head and neck with a dark crown and eyes.
    • Female is plainer, with a strong dark eye-line that does not continue back to the nape.
    • In India, they breed between June and August, seeking tree hollows to build the nests.
  • Concerns
    • Decreasing population due to habitat loss.
    • Climate change and natural disasters (hurricanes, global warming, tsunamis, etc).
    • Disease & anthropogenic threats.
  • Conservation
    • Geographically spaced populations.
    • Protecting wetlands from storms & sea level change.
    • Post-disaster contingency plans for population restoration.
  • Protection Status
    • IUCN Red List: Least Concern.
    • State of India’s Birds 2020 Report: Concerning List.

 

(Image Courtesy: TH)

Unicorn Black Hole

  • It is possibly the smallest-known black hole in the Milky Way galaxy and the closest to the solar system.
    • The black hole is located about 1,500 light years (the distance light travels in a year, 9.5 trillion km) from Earth.
  • It is roughly three times the mass of the sun.
  • A luminous star called a red giant orbits with the black hole in a so-called binary star system named V723 Mon.
  • Black holes are electromagnetically dark so they are difficult to find. However, tidal distortion on the companion star of Unicorn indicated its presence.
    • Its strong gravity alters the shape of the companion star in a phenomenon known as tidal distortion, making it elongated rather than spherical and causes its light to change as it moves along its orbital path.

(Image Courtesy: TH)

Oxygen Concentrators

  • An oxygen concentrator or generator is a device recommended by doctors to fulfill the shortage of oxygen and it functions with the help of atmospheric air and electricity
    • The oxygen concentrator takes in this air, filters it through a sieve, releases the nitrogen back into the air, and works on the remaining oxygen.
  • Oxygen concentrators are the easiest alternatives to cylinders but can only supply 5-10 litres of oxygen per minute (critical patients may need 40-50 litres per minute) and are best suited for moderately ill patients.
  • An oxygen concentrator can only be used under medical supervision and prescription and it should not be considered as a treatment for COVID-19.  

        Image Courtesy: Zee news 

EXERCISE VARUNA – 2021

  • India and France commenced their annual “Varuna” joint naval exercise with large-scale drills in the western Arabian Sea.
    • This is the 19th edition of the exercise.
    • India and France have been holding these exercises since 1993.
  • The joint exercise will comprise various drills across the spectrum of maritime operations, “with the goal of fostering interoperability and mutual learning between the two navies.
  • The exercise plays a key role in the two countries’ joint vision for a “free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific” and a rules-based international order.

 

Other Military Exercises of India 

 

  • Malabar Exercise: Navies of India, USA, and Japan.
  • JIMEX: India-Japan
  • Ex-Desert Knight 21 exercise– It is a bilateral air exercise to be held between Indian Air Force and the French air and Space Force.
  • Indra Dhanush-It is a joint air force exercise between the Indian Air Force and the Royal Air Force of the United Kingdom
  • Exercise Pitch Black- India and Australia.
    • The main aim of the exercise is to practice Defensive Counter Air combat and Offensive Counter Air Combat
  • AUSINDEX is a bilateral naval exercise between the Indian Navy and the Australian Navy.
    • Both countries hold bilateral army exercises named  AUSTRAHIND.
  • Dharma Guardian-The joint military exercise named “Dharma Guardian” between India and Japan.
  • Aviaindra –India and Russia joint air exercise.
  • Nomadic Elephant-India and  Mongolia joint exercise.

Deep Time Project

  • Scientists at the Human Adaption Institute leading the 1.2 million-euro (US$1.5 million) “Deep Time” Project.
  • Under the Project, Eight men and seven women lived for 40 days in the dark, damp depths of the Lombrives cave in the Pyrenees southwestern France. 
  • There was no sunlight inside, the temperature was 10 degrees Celsius (50 F) and the relative humidity stood at 100 percent
  • The cave dwellers had no contact with the outside world, no updates on the pandemic nor any communications with friends or family.
  • The project aimed to test how people respond to losing their sense of time and space.
  • It will help scientists to better understand how people adapt to drastic changes in living conditions and environments.