About is Late Blight Disease:

• Late blight (Phytophthora infestans) is one of the most serious fungal diseases that can affect tomatoes and potatoes.
• Transmission:
  • It is spread from infected transplants, volunteer potato or tomato plants, and certain weeds botanically related to tomatoes. 
  • Spores of this fungus can be airborne and travel great distances in storms. Rain deposits spores on plants, causing infection. 
  • Late blight is favored by cool, wet weather and will cycle repeatedly if weather conditions are favorable.
• Symptoms:
  • When plants have become infected, lesions (round or irregularly shaped areas that range in colour from dark green to purplish black and resemble frost injury) appear on the leaves, petioles, and stems.
  • A whitish growth of spore-producing structures may appear at the margin of the lesions on theunder leaf surfaces.
  • Potato tubers develop rot up to 15 mm (0.6 inch) deep.
  • Secondary fungi and bacteria (particularly Erwinia species) often invade potato tubers and produce rotting that results in great losses during storage, transit, and marketing.
• The disease can be managed with a timely application of fungicide, though epidemics can occur rapidly once crops are infected.

Q1: What are Fungi?

Fungi, along with Animalia (animals), Plantae (plants), Protista, Archaea/Archaebacteria, and Bacteria or Eubacteria form the six ‘kingdoms’ of biology. They are eukaryotic organisms; i.e., their cells contain membrane-bound organelles and clearly defined nuclei. Fungi usually reproduce both sexually and asexually. 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.

Source: CPRI issues advisory as late blight disease threatens potato crops

About Chandipura Virus Infection: 

• It is a virus of the Rhabdoviridae family, which also includes other members such as the lyssavirus that causes rabies.
  • Several species of sandflies like Phlebotomine sandflies and Phlebotomus papatasi, and some mosquito species such as Aedes aegypti (which is also the vector for dengue) are considered vectors of CHPV.
• The virus resides in the salivary gland of these insects, and can be transmitted to humans or other vertebrates like domestic animals through bites.
• The infection caused by the virus can then reach the central nervous system which can lead to encephalitis — inflammation of the active tissues of the brain.
• Disease progression can be as rapid as a patient reporting high fever in the morning, and their kidneys or liver being affected by the evening.
• Symptoms
  • The CHPV infection presents initially with flu-like symptoms such as acute onset of fever, body ache, and headache.
  • It may then progress to altered sensorium or seizures and encephalitis.
  • Respiratory distress, bleeding tendencies, or anaemia.
  • The infection often progresses rapidly after encephalitis, which may then lead to mortality within 24-48 hours of hospitalization.
• This infection has largely remained limited to children below 15 years.
• Treatment: The infection can only be symptomatically managed as currently there is no specific antiretroviral therapy or vaccine available for treatment.
• Affected regions in India
  • The CHPV infection was first isolated in 1965 while investigating a dengue/chikungunya outbreak in Maharashtra.
  • However, one of the most significant outbreaks of the disease in India was seen in 2003-04 in states such as Maharashtra, northern Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh.
  • The infection has largely remained endemic to the central part of India, where the population of CHPV infection-spreading sandflies and mosquitoes is higher.

Q1: What is Sickle Cell Anaemia (SCA)?

Sickle Cell Anaemia (SCA) is one of a group of inherited disorders known as sickle cell disease (SCD). It affects the shape of red blood cells, which carry oxygen to all parts of the body. Red blood cells contain hemoglobin, a protein that carries oxygen. Healthy red blood cells are round, and they move through small blood vessels to carry oxygen to all parts of the body.

Source: 6 children die of suspected Chandipura virus infection in Gujarat: What is the disease, and what are its symptoms?

About Halwa Ceremony: 

• The ceremony is a ritual in which traditional dessert ‘halwa’ is prepared and served to officials and staff members of the finance ministry who are involved in the preparation of the budget.
• It is a kind of a ‘send-off’ for finance ministry officials and staff involved in the preparation of the Union government’s annual financial statement.
• They enter what is called a ‘lock-in’ period, during which they stay in the basement of North Block, cut off from the world outside with a view to maintaining the secrecy around the final budget document.
• These stringent measures date back to a leak that occurred in 1950. A portion of the Union Budget was leaked while it was being printed at Rashtrapati Bhawan. As a result of the leak, the then Finance Minister, John Matthai, resigned.

Key facts about the Union Budget of India

• The Union Budget of India also referred to as the Annual Financial Statement in the Article 112 of the Constitution of India, is the annual budget of the Republic of India.
• It is also known as the Annual Financial Statement of the Government; however, the term "budget" is not mentioned in the Constitution.

Q1: What is a budget?

It is an annual financial statement for a specific period of time, usually a year, that outlines projected income and expenses. It is used as a tool for managing financial resources and achieving specific goals such as mobilization of resources, fiscal consolidation, etc.

Source: FM participates in customary ‘halwa’ ceremony; marks final stage of Budget preparation

About World Bank Group Guarantee Platform: 

• It is housed at the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), brings together products and experts from the World Bank, International Finance Corporation (IFC), and MIGA for simplicity, efficiency, and speed.
• It aims to boost WBG annual guarantee issuance to $20 billion by 2030.
• WBG Guarantees will serve as a one-stop-shop for all WBG guarantee business, providing the best guarantee solutions for clients to meet project needs and development priorities.
• WBG clients can now choose from a simplified market-friendly menu of guarantee options.
• The platform will provide three types of coverages:
  • Credit guarantees for loans to the public or private sector;
  • Trade finance guarantees for trade finance projects involving public entities;
  • Political risk insurance against non-commercial risks for private sector projects or public-private partnerships.
• Significance
  • Initiated in 2024, World Bank Group Guarantees consolidates all guarantee products and experts from across the World Bank Group institutions at MIGA.
  • It provides a simplified and comprehensive menu of guarantee solutions, enabling clients to select the instrument that best suits their needs.
  • The platform streamlines processes, removes redundancies, and provides greater accessibility by de-risking investments in developing countries.

Q1: What is the World Bank?

The WB is an international financial institution that provides loans and grants to the governments of low and middle-income/developing countries for the purpose of pursuing capital projects. It was established along with the IMF at the 1944 Bretton Woods Conference.

Source: World Bank Group Guarantee Platform Goes Live

About Bhojshala Complex: 

• It is located in the Dhar district of Madhya Pradesh.
• It was built by Raja Bhoja (1000-1055 A.D.) in 1034 AD, who was the greatest monarch of the Paramara dynasty.
• It served as a university and many students used to come here to learn music, Sanskrit, astronomy, yoga, Ayurveda and philosophy.
• History
  • In 1305 AD, it was for the first time attacked by Alauddin Khilji.
  • In 1514 AD, Mehmudshah Khilji II attacked this complex and tried to convert it into dargah. He encroached land outside Saraswati Temple and built ‘Kamal Moulana’ Makbara.
• Inscriptions found:
  • In the rocks of this complex, two hymns written in Prakrit language of the Karmavatar or crocodile incarnation of Vishnu are engraved.
  • Two Sarpabandha pillar inscriptions, one containing the Sanskrit alphabet and the main endings of nouns and verbs and the other containing the individual declensions of the ten tenses and moods of Sanskrit grammar.
• In 1951, the complex was declared as a monument of national importance under the Ancient and Historical Monument and Archaeological Sites and Remains (Declaration of National Importance) Act, 1951.
• It is currently protected by ASI under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958.

Q1: What is the mandate of Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958?

The Act protects monuments and sites that are more than 100 years old, including temples, cemeteries, inscriptions, tombs, forts, palaces, step-wells, rock-cut canes, and even objects like cannons and mile pillars that may be of historical significance.

Source: Existing structure at Bhojshala complex in Madhya Pradesh built from temple remains, says ASI survey

About Jerdon’s Courser:

• It is a nocturnal cursorial (adapted for walking and running) bird endemic to the Eastern Ghats of India.
• Scientific Name: Rhinoptilus bitorquatus
• It was considered to be extinct from the beginning of the 20th century until its rediscovery in 1986. 
• Habitat: It inhabits open patches within scrub-forests.
• Distribution: It is found only in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
• Features:
  • It is a delicate lapwing-like bird with a large eye and a short, bicolored bill.
  • Its upper plumage is grey-brown, chin and throat are whitish, fore-neck is rufous and separated from its brown breast by a white band. 
  • A second white band runs across the lower portion of its breast (hence it was earlier called a double-banded courser).
  • The belly is whitish, while its tail is black-and-white (visible in flight). The legs are pale yellow.
  • The call is a short series of two-noted whistles “tuick-tuoo.”
  • They are insectivorous, hunting invertebrates by sight.
• Conservation Status:
  • IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered

Q1: What is IUCN?

The International Union for Conservation of Nature is a global organization composed of governments, NGOs, scientists, and experts dedicated to conserving nature and promoting sustainability. Its primary role involves assessing the conservation status of species, providing data and analysis on the state of biodiversity worldwide, and offering guidance and frameworks for conservation efforts.

Source: Critically endangered Jerdon’s courser not spotted in a decade

About Tizu River:

• Nagaland has four main rivers, namely, Doyang, Dhansiri, Dhiku, and Tizu. 
• The first three flow towards the west through the Assam plains to join River Brahmaputra, while the Tizu River systemflows towards the east and southeast and pours into the Irrawaddy in Myanmar. 
• The Tizu River forms an important drainage system in the eastern part of Nagaland. 
  • It originates from the central part of Nagaland state and runs through a northeast direction, flows through Kiphire and Phek districts and confluences in the Chindwin River of Myanmar.
  • The Chindwin River further enters into Irrawaddy River, the largest river of Myanmar.
  • The River Irrawaddy further drains into the Andaman Seavia the Irrawaddy Delta after travelling through river ports like Mandalay.
• The main tributaries of the River Tizu are river Zungki, Lanye, and Likimro.
  • The Zungki River, which is the biggest tributary of Tizu, starts from the north-eastern part of Changdong forest in the south of Teku, and flows in a southern direction towards Noklak, Shamator, and Kiphire, and finally joins Tizu below Kiphire.

About National Waterways 101:

• The proposed Tizu-Zungki waterway, or NW 101, will link Nagaland with the Chindwin River, Myanmar, and beyond.
• On the Nagaland side, it is set to run approximately 42 km, starting from Longmatra in Kiphire to Avangkhu in Phek’s Meluri sub-division.

From Avangkhu, it will link up with the Chindwin and on to the Tamanthi port, Myanmar, traversing some 117 km.

Q1: What is a Delta?

Deltas are wetlands that form as rivers empty their water and sediment into another body of water, such as an ocean, lake, or another river. Although very uncommon, deltas can also empty into land.

Source: Centre to explore Tizu Zunki river to connect hilly Nagaland with Southeast Asia for trade, tourism

About ASMITA Project:

• ASMITA (Augmenting Study Materials in Indian Languages through Translation and Academic Writing) is an initiative to develop 22,000 books in Indian languages in the next five years.
• It is a collaborative effort of the UGC and the Bharatiya Bhasha Samiti, a high-powered committee under the Ministry of Education.
• The primary objective of this initiative is to promote and integrate Indian languages more deeply into the education system, thereby enriching the learning experience and making it more inclusive.
• This project is seen as part of a broader strategy to enhance the accessibility and quality of educational materials across various Indian languages.
• Thirteen nodal universities have been identified to lead the project, along with member universities from various regions.
• The UGC has also created a standard operating procedure (SOP) for the book-writing process in each assigned language.
  • The SOP includes the identification of nodal officers, authors, allocation of title, subject, and programme, writing and editing, submission of the manuscript, review and plagiarism check, finalisation, designing, proofreading and e-publication.

Other Initiatives Launched:

• The Ministry of Education also launched the "Bahubhasha Shabdakosh", a single-pointreference for all the words in all Indian languages and their meanings.
• This initiative will be developed by the Central Institute of Indian Languages (CIIL) in collaboration with the Bharatiya Bhasha Samiti.

This Shabdakosh will help in using Bharatiya words, phrases, and sentences for various new-age domains like IT, industry, research, and education.

Q1: What is the University Grants Commission (UGC)?

The University Grants Commission (UGC) came into existence on 28th December, 1953 and became a statutory Organization of the Government of India by an Act of Parliament in 1956, for the coordination, determination and maintenance of standards of teaching, examination and research in university education.

Source: Centre, UGC launch 'ASMITA' project to produce 22,000 books in Indian languages | DETAILS