About Paramyrothecium indicum

• It is a new species of phytopathogenic fungus.
• Phytopathogens are parasites surviving on a plant host. 
• Most of Paramyrothecium are phytopathogens.
• They are responsible for “serious plant diseases which might negatively affect crop productivity.
• Paramyrothecium leaf spots are a type of fungal disease that can affect a variety of plants.
• Some species of Paramyrothecium produce secondary metabolites with bio-herbicidal potentials” and, therefore, may find application in controlling weeds.

Key Facts about Fungi

• Fungi, along with Animalia (animals), Plantae (plants), Protista, Archaea/Archaebacteria, and Bacteria or Eubacteria, form the six ‘kingdoms’ of biology.
• Fungi includes the yeasts, rusts, smuts, mildews, molds, and mushrooms. 
• They are eukaryotic organisms, i.e., their cells contain membrane-bound organelles and clearly defined nuclei.
• Reproduction: Fungi usually reproduce both sexually and asexually. 
• Distribution:
  • Fungi are either terrestrial or aquatic, the latter living in freshwater or marine environments.
  • They are found in all temperate and tropical regions of the world where there is sufficient moisture to enable them to grow.
• A group called the decomposers grows in the soil or on dead plant matter, where they play an important role in the cycling of carbon and other elements.
• Some are parasites of plants causing diseases such as mildews, rusts, scabs, or canker. In crops, fungal diseases can lead to significant monetary losses for the farmer.
• A very small number of fungi cause diseases in animals. In humans, these include skin diseases such as athletes’ foot, ringworm, and thrush.
• Fungi are essential to many household and industrial processes, notably the making of bread, wine, beer, and certain cheeses.

Q1) What is Protista?

Protists are a group of all the eukaryotes that are not fungi, animals, or plants. As a result, it is a very diverse group of organisms. The eukaryotes that make up this kingdom, Kingdom Protista, do not have much in common besides a relatively simple organization. Protists can look very different from each other. Some are tiny and unicellular, like an amoeba, and some are large and multicellular, like seaweed. 

Source: Scientists from KFRI, BHU and BSI discover new species of fungus in Kerala

About Guru Gobind Singh

• He was the 10th and last human Guru of the Sikhs.
• Born as Gobind Rai on December 22, 1666, in Patna, Bihar, Guru Gobind Singh was the son of the ninth Guru of Sikhism, Guru Teg Bahadur. 
• He became the spiritual and temporal leader of the Sikhs on November 11, 1675, at the age of nine, following the martyrdom of his father, Guru Tegh Bahadur, at the hands of the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb in 1675.
• He was renowned as a warrior, a poet, and a prophet. 
• He is fondly remembered by Sikhs as a defender of the faith and a champion of equality and justice.
• Among his notable contributions to Sikhism are founding the Sikh warrior community called Khalsa in 1699.
  • He introduced the Five Ks, the five articles of faith that Khalsa Sikhs wear at all times. These are Kesh: uncut hair, Kangha: a wooden comb, Kara: an iron or steel bracelet worn on the wrist, Kirpan: a sword, and Kacchera: short breeches.
• Throughout his life, he engaged in numerous battles against the Mughal Empire and their allies, totaling 21 battles.
  • Some of the notable battles include the Battle of Bhangani, the Battle of Nadaun, the Battle of Anandpur, the Battle of Chamkaur, the Battle of Muktsar, and the Battle of Khidrana.
• He authored numerous literary works in various languages. Among his famous works are Jaap Sahib, the Tav-Prasad Savaiye, and the Benti Chaupai. 
• He further codified Sikh law, wrote martial poetry and music, and was the reputed author of the Sikh work called the Dasam Granth (“Tenth Volume”).
• Guru Gobind Singh proclaimed that he was the last of the personal Gurus. From that point forward, the Sikh Guru was to be the holy book, the Guru Granth Sahib (Sikh Holy Book).
• He was assassinated in 1708, at the age of 41. 
• His birth anniversary is called Guru Gobind Singh Jayanti, and his death anniversary is called Guru Gaddi Diwas.

Q1) What is the Guru Granth Sahib?

The Guru Granth Sahib, also known as the Adi Granth, is the primary Holy Book of the Sikhs. and is consulted for religious guidance in all aspects of life. Composed during the period of Sikh Gurus, from 1469 to 1708, the Guru Granth Sahib is a voluminous text of 1430 pages that was compiled by the fifth Sikh Guru, Guru Arjan Dev (1563-1606), from hymns of the previous Sikh Gurus and other great saints of the Hindu and Muslim traditions.

Source: Guru Gobind Singh Jayanti 2024: History, wishes and timeless quotes by the last Guru of Sikhism 

About Kolam Tribes

• Kolam tribes, also known as Kolamboli, Kulme and Kolmi, occupy a major portion of Madhya Pradesh.
• The main concentration of this tribe is on the plains and in the mountainous region.
• These tribal groups are reckoned as scheduled tribes and apart from Madhya Pradesh they reside in some parts of Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh.
• They are listed as Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) in the state of Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh.
• History:
  • Around the twelfth century, the Kolam served as priests for the Gond, representing some of their important gods.
  • It is generally accepted that the Kolam descended from the original population in the area.
  • Since they now live near the Gond, they have adopted much of the Gond lifestyle. 
• The Kolam people are divided into different clans, like Chal Deve, Pach Deve, Saha Deve, and Sat Deve.
• Marriages between the same clans are not permissible.
• The Kolams use the name of their clans as their surnames.
• Their society is patrilineal, meaning that the line of descent is traced through the males.
• The Kolam are mainly farmers and forest workers. In times past, they used shifting cultivation on the hill slopes. Today, they primarily live as settled farmers and use plow cultivation.
• They speak a Dravidian language called Kolami, and nearly all of the adults also speak Marathi, Telugu, or Gondi.
• They also speak other languages like Marathi, Telugu or Gondi.
• For writing, this Kolma tribal community uses the famous Devnagari script. 

Q1) What are Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs)?

PVTGs are a more vulnerable group among tribal groups in India. These groups have primitive traits, geographical isolation, low literacy, zero to negative population growth rate and backwardness. Moreover, they are largely dependent on hunting for food and a pre-agriculture level of technology. Currently, there are 2.8 million PVTGs belonging to 75 tribes across 22,544 villages in 220 districts across 18 states and Union Territories in India. According to the 2011 Census, Odisha has the largest population of PVTGs at 866,000. 

About Panama Canal

• It is an artificial waterway that connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Pacific Ocean.
• The canal cuts across the Isthmus of Panama and is a conduit for maritime trade.
• It was cut through one of the narrowest saddles of the isthmus that joins North and South America.
• It is one of the two most strategic artificial waterways in the world, the other being the Suez Canal. 
• It is approximately 80 kilometers long.
• It consists of a series of locks that raise and lower the water level to facilitate the passage of ships through the continental divide.
• History:
  • France began work on the canal in 1881, but financial troubles and diseases made the initiative fail.
  • The United States took over the project on May 4, 1904, and opened the canal on August 15, 1914, and then managed the waterway until 1999. 
  • On December 31, 1999, Panama took over full operation, administration, and maintenance of the Canal, in compliance with the Torrijos-Carter Treaties negotiated with the United States in 1977.

Q1) What is the Suez Canal?

It is a 30 km (120 miles)-long artificial sea-level waterway located in Egypt. It connects the Mediterranean Sea with the Gulf of Suez, a northern branch of the Red Sea. It provides the shortest maritime route between Europe and the lands lying around the Indian and western Pacific oceans. It is one of the world’s most heavily used shipping lanes.

Source: Mind-blowing: 22-Million-Year-Old Lost Forest Discovered in Panama Canal | All You Need to Know

About Yen Denominated Green Bonds

• It is REC Limited’s eleventh venture into the international bond market and inaugural Yen Bond issuance, which is also the first Yen Green Bonds issuance by any Indian PSU
• Time period: 5-year, 5.25-year and 10-year bonds issued at yield of 1.76%, 1.79% and 2.20% respectively
• It is the largest ever Euro-Yen issuance in South and South East Asia
• It is the largest Yen-denominated issuance from India.
• Largest non-sovereign Yen-denominated issuance ever from South and South East Asia
• The transaction witnessed interest from both Japanese and international accounts, with number of orders from each at 50%, international allocation being one of the highest for any other Indian Yen deal.
• These bonds will be rated Baa3/BBB–/BBB+ (Moody's/Fitch/JCR) and will be listed exclusively on Global Securities Market of India International Exchange (India INX) and NSE IFSC in GIFT City, Gandhinagar, Gujarat.

Key facts about REC Limited

• REC Limited (formerly Rural Electrification Corporation Limited) is a Central Public Sector Undertaking under the Ministry of Power involved in financing projects in the complete power sector value chain from generation to distribution.
• It is registered with the RBI as a Non-Banking Finance Company (NBFC), a Public Financial Institution (PFI) and an Infrastructure Financing Company (IFC).

Q1) What are Green bonds?

A green bond is a fixed-income instrument designed to support specific climate-related or environmental projects.Green bonds may come with tax incentives to enhance their attractiveness to some investors. The phrase “green bond” is sometimes used interchangeably with “climate bonds” or “sustainable bonds.”

Source: REC Limited issues inaugural Yen Denominated Green Bonds aggregating to 61.1 Billion Japanese Yen

About Pinaka

• Pinaka is a Multi-Barrel Rocket Launcher (MBRL).
• The Pinaka MBRL is designed by the Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE), a laboratory of the DRDO.
• It was first used during the Kargil War, where it successfully neutralised Pakistan Army positions on the mountain tops.
• It delivers lethal and responsive fire against a variety of area targets, such as exposed enemy troops, armoured and soft-skin vehicles, communication centres, air terminal complexes, and fuel and ammunition dumps.
• Features:
  • It consists of a multi-tube launcher vehicle, a replenishment-cum-loader vehicle, a replenishment vehicle, and a command post vehicle.
  • The rocket launcher has two pods containing six rockets each and can neutralise an area of 700 × 500 square metres within 48 seconds. 
  • The launcher system is supported on four hydraulically actuated outriggers at the time of firing. 
  • It has a range of 60 to 75 kilometers.
  • The system is mounted on a Tatra truck for mobility.

Q1) What is the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)?

The DRDO is an agency of the Government of India responsible for the research and development of technology and equipment related to defense and military applications. Established in 1958, DRDO operates under the Ministry of Defence and plays a crucial role in enhancing India's defense capabilities by developing advanced technology, systems, and products.

Source: South American nations showing interest in Pinaka, DRDO working on developing it with strike ranges up to 200 km

About Pakke Paga Hornbill Festival

• The first-ever PPHF was held in 2015.
• The aim was to recognise the role played by the Nyishi tribal group in conserving hornbills in Pakke Tiger Reserve (PTR).
• Other objectives were to raise alternative sources of income for the region and to create awareness in the rest of India about the wonders of PTR and its surrounding areas.
• This year, the festival’s theme is Domutoh Domutoh, Paga hum Domutoh. It translates to ‘Let Our Hornbills Remain’ in the Nyishi language.
• This year’s festival aims to underscore the critical need for preserving these iconic birds.

Key points about Pakke Tiger Reserve

• It is located in the East Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh.
• It is surrounded by the Tenga Reserve Forest to the North, Doimara Reserve Forest on the West, Nameri National Park and Tiger Reserve (Assam) on the South.
• The landscape has high species diversity and endemicity as it forms the transition zone between the Indian and Malayan eco-regions.
• It is situated North of the river Brahmaputra in the transition zone between the Assam plains and the hilly forests of Arunachal Pradesh.
• Vegetation: It consists of tropical evergreen and semi-evergreen forest.
• Flora: Polyalthia simiarum, Pterospermum acerifolium, Sterculia alata, Stereospermum chelonioides, Ailanthus grandis and Duabanga grandiflor. About eight species of bamboo occur in the area.
• Fauna: Tiger, Elephant, predators like Leopard and Clouded leopard etc.

Q1) Who are Nyishi tribal people ?

They are people of eastern Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh, a mountainous state in northeastern India. They speak the Tibeto-Burman language of the Sino-Tibetan family. The Nyishi support themselves with slash-and-burn agriculture and with hunting and fishing. 

Source: Arunachal Pradesh’s Pakke Paga Hornbill Festival gears up for its 9th Edition

About Light-Emitting Diodes

• A diode is an electronic component which has two points of contact, or terminals, called its anode and cathode.
• A diode’s primary purpose is to allow current to flow in only one direction.
• An LED is a semiconductor device which emits light when electric current flows through it.
• It can produce all three primary colours – red, green, and blue – different LEDs can be combined on a display board to produce a large variety of colours.

Advantages of LED

• Energy Efficiency: It requires far less electricity to produce the same light as incandescent bulbs. LEDs use approximately 75-80% less energy than traditional incandescent bulbs
• Durability: LED bulbs are highly durable and resistant to shocks, vibrations, and temperature fluctuations.
• Instant Illumination: It provides instant illumination without the warm-up period required by incandescent bulbs.
• Heat Generation: LED bulbs generate very little heat, making them safer to handle and more efficient in terms of energy utilization. 
• Environmental Impact: LEDs have a significantly lower environmental impact compared to incandescent. The energy efficiency and longer lifespan result in reduced greenhouse gas emissions and less waste.

What are the Applications of LEDs?

• LEDs have several applications in industry, consumer electronics, and household appliances: from smartphones to TV screens, from signboards to ‘feeding’ plants light in greenhouses, from barcode scanners to monitoring air quality.

Q1) What is a semiconductor?

It is a substance that has specific electrical properties that enable it to serve as a foundation for computers and other electronic devices. It is typically a solid chemical element or compound that conducts electricity under certain conditions but not others.

Source: What are light-emitting diodes and why are they prized as light sources? | Explained

About African dream herb

• A perennial climbing vine that is used by African traditional healers to induce vivid dreams that enables them to communicate efficiently with their ancestors.
• Common names: Giant sea bean, African dream herb, snuff box and Entada rheedii
• Distribution and habitat: It is indigenous to Africa, Asia, Australia and Madagascar. It grows in tropical lowlands, along the coastline and river banks, in woodland, thickets and riverine rain forests.
• Uses
  • A paste made from the leaves, bark and roots is used to clean wounds, treat burns and heal jaundice in children.
  • Tea made from the whole plant is used to improve blood circulation to the brain and heal the after-effects of a stroke.
  • The bark is used to treat diarrhoea, dysentery and parasitic infections.
• This creeper yields a dark brown and spherical seed, almost the size of a human patella or kneecap, used to play ‘Hambi Kepathu’. Associated with the origin of the Karbi community.

What is Hambi Kepathu?

• It is also known as Simrit in some parts of Karbi Anglong, is played on three rectangular courts by two teams comprising three members each.
• Each member of a team has to place a ‘hambi’, or the glazed creeper seed, vertically on the midpoint of the boundary line of his court for a player of the rival team to hit with his ‘hambi’.
• Hambi Kepathu, whose name is derived from the first syllables of the names of a Karbi sister-brother duo, is a male-only game like other traditional Karbi games such as ‘Pholong’ (spinning top), ‘Thengtom Langvek’ (torch swimming), and ‘Kengdongdang’ (bamboo stilt race).

Q1) What is Jaundice?

It is a condition produced when excess amounts of bilirubin circulating in the bloodstream dissolve in the subcutaneous fat (the layer of fat just beneath the skin), causing a yellowish appearance of the skin and the whites of the eyes.

Source: In Assam, creeper conservation rides revived Karbi traditional game

About eSakhsya App: 

• It is a mobile-based application to help police record the scene of crime, search and seizure in a criminal case and upload the file on the cloud-based platform.
• Working
  • The police official will have to upload a selfie after the procedure is complete.
  • Each recording could be a maximum four minutes long and several such files could be uploaded for each First Information Report (FIR).
• This mobile application developed by the National Informatics Centre (NIC) will be available to all police stations which register and download the App.

Key facts about the National Informatics Centre

• It is the premier information technology organization of the Government of India. Established in 1976, it operates under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).
• The NIC's primary focus is to provide e-Government solutions and support to various government departments.
• NIC, through its ICT Network, “NICNET”, has institutional linkages with all the Ministries /Departments of the Central Government, 36 State Governments/ Union Territories across India.
• The following major activities are being undertaken:
  • Setting up of ICT Infrastructure
  • Implementation of National and State Level e-Governance Projects/Products
  • Consultancy to the Government departments
  • Research & Development

Q1: What is the First Information Report (FIR)?

It is a written document prepared by a Police officer based on information given by an aggrieved person or any other person either in writing or made orally about the commission of a Cognizable Offence. Investigation is started only after filing of the FIR.

Source: Ahead of rollout of new criminal laws, Home Ministry tests eSakhsya App