About Saffron Crop: 

• It is one of the costliest herbal spices across the globe and popularly known as Red Gold or the Golden Condiment.
• The commercial part of Saffron is Stigma, which is the female part of flower also termed as Saffron filament or Saffron thread or Saffron stigmata.
• The seeds of Saffron are called corms or bulbs, and Saffron plant regenerates from the vegetative multiplication of its underground corms.
• It contains crocin, picrocrocin and saffranal which are very important constituents for both medicinal and aesthetic purposes.
• Distribution: The saffron plant is native to Greece and Asia Minor, but it is now cultivated in many parts of Europe (especially Italy, France, and Spain), China, and India.
• In India around 90% of saffron production comes from Kashmir, where it has been grown for centuries.
• Required Climatic conditions
  • It grows at an elevation of 1,500-2,000 m above mean sea level.
  • Saffron cultivation requires explicit climatic conditions with temperatures ranging from not more than 35oC or 40oC in the summer to about -15oC or -20oC in the winter.
  • It can be grown in dry, moderate and continental climate types.
  • Soil: It thrives on loamy, sandy, and calcareous soils.
  • Saffron grows best on acidic soil. It thrives well when the soil pH is 5.5 to 8.5

Q1: What is Vegetative reproduction?

It is any form of asexual reproduction occurring in plants in which a new plant grows from a fragment of the parent plant or grows from a specialized reproductive structure (such as a stolon, rhizome, tuber, corm, or bulb).

Source: Losing spice: Kashmir’s prized saffron crop hit by dry spells

About Oropouche fever: 

• It is an emerging zoonotic arboviral disease caused by the Oropouche Virus (OROV). 
• It was first discovered in Trinidad and Tobago in 1955.
• Transmission
  • It is spread to humans through the bite of an infected midge (often through the bite of the Culicoides paraensis midge) or mosquito.
  • Factors such as urbanization, deforestation, and climate change contribute to the proliferation of its vector, escalating the risk of transmission.
  • There is no evidence of human-to-human transmission of the disease — to date.
• Symptoms
  • Symptoms of the disease are similar to dengue and typically start between four and eight days after the bite.
  • The onset is sudden, and symptoms usually include fever, headaches, pain, chills, joint stiffness and sometimes nausea and vomiting.
• Treatment
  • There are no vaccines and specific treatment for Oropouche fever.
  • Medical care aims to control the symptoms and help with recovery.

Q1: What are Viruses?

They are non-cellular entities with genetic material enclosed in a protein coat called capsid. The viral genome is usually either RNA or DNA. Outside the host, viruses remain inert. But once inside host cells, they utilise the cell machinery to make copies of themselves, often destroying the host cell.

Source: Death in Brazil: What is Oropouche fever?

About International Labour Organization (ILO):

• It is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) dedicated to improving labourconditions and living standards throughout the world.
• History:
  • It was created in 1919, as part of the Treaty of Versailles that ended World War I, to reflect the belief that universal and lasting peace can be accomplished only if it is based on social justice.
  • In 1946, the ILO became a specialized agency of the newly formed UN.
• HQ: Geneva, Switzerland.
• It is also a member of the United Nations Development Group (UNDP), a coalition of UN organization aimed at helping meet the Sustainable Development Goals.
• Members: The ILO has 187 member states: 186 out of 193 UN member states plus the Cook Islands.
• Structure: It is the only tripartite U.N. agency, that brings together governments, employers and workers’ representatives of 187-member States.
• It serves its tripartite constituents - and society as a whole - in a variety of ways, including:
  • Formulation of international policies and programmes to promote basic human rights, improve working and living conditions, and enhance employment opportunities
  • Creation of international labour standards backed by a unique system to supervise their application
  • An extensive programme of international technical cooperation formulated and implemented in an active partnership with constituents, to help countries put these policies into practice in an effective manner
  • Training, education, and research activities to help advance all of these efforts
• In recognition of its activities, the ILO was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1969.

Q1: What is the Treaty of Versailles?

The treaty Versailles was one of several that officially ended five years of conflict known as the Great War—World War I. The Treaty of Versailles outlined the conditions of peace between Germany and the victorious Allies, led by the United States, France, and the United Kingdom. Other Central Powers (significantly, Austria-Hungary) signed different treaties with the Allies.

Source: Centre likely to lodge complaint against International Labour Organisation’s India Employment Report

About Mekedatu Project:

• It is a multi-purpose (drinking water and power) project proposed by Karnataka, which involves building a balancing reservoir near Kanakapura in Ramanagara district,Karnataka.
  • It is about 90 km away from Bengaluru and 4 km ahead of the border with Tamil Nadu.
• The project is proposed at the confluence of the Cauvery River with its tributary Arkavathi. 
• The plan involves building a 99-metre-high, 735-metre-long concrete gravity dam, an underground powerhouse, and a water conductor system.
• The expected capacity of the dam is 66,000 TMC (thousand million cubic feet) of water
• Once completed, it is expected to supply over 4 TMC of water to Bengaluru cityfordrinking purposes. 
• The estimated cost of completing the project is around Rs 14,000 crores, covering an area of over 5,000 hectares.
• Issue:
  • Tamil Nadu — the lower riparian state — has claimed that the project is against the interest of the state’s water requirement.
  • Tamil Nadu says,Mekedatu area represents the last free point in Karnataka from where Cauvery water flows unrestricted into Tamil Nadu, and Mekedatu dam project is an attempt by Karnataka to lock this free flow of water. 
  • The lower riparian state has to give its no-objection for any project that comes up on the Cauvery as per the Cauvery tribunal and Supreme Court order.

Q1: Which are the major tributaries of Kaveri River?

It's important tributaries joining from left are the Harangi, the Hemavati, the Shimsha, and the Arkavati, whereas the Lakshmantirtha, the Kabbani, the Suvarnavati, the Bhavani, the Noyil, and the Amaravati joins from right.

Source: Ready To Discuss Mekedatu Project Implementation With Tamil Nadu: Siddaramaiah

About National Metallurgist Awards: 

• It was instituted in 1962 by the then Ministry of Steel & Mines to recognise & honour the outstanding contributions of Metallurgists in the metallurgical field covering operation, research, design, education, waste management and energy conservation. The awards are given in annual basis
• These awards are conferred to recognize outstanding contributions in the metallurgical field, covering Operations, Research & Development, Waste Management and Energy Conservation.
• Nominations for the award shall be invited online on the Ministry of Steel’s Portal or the centralized portal being developed by the Ministry of Home Affairs. Nominations will be through companies/ organizations or from the public through self-nomination.
• The awards are given on an annual basis, only to Indian nationals.
• The Awards will be given in the following four categories:-
  • Lifetime Achievement Award
  • National Metallurgist Award
  • Young Metallurgist Award (Environment and Metal Science)
  • Award for R&D in Iron & Steel Sector.
• The first award was given in 1963 and subsequently every year thereafter.

Q1: What is Metallurgy ?

Metallurgy is best described as a field of materials science and engineering that studies the physical and chemical behaviours of metallic elements. Metallurgy also examines the inter-metallic compounds and how they can be mixed.

Source: Ministry of Steel invites applications for National Metallurgist Awards -2024

About Wagner Group:

• The Wagner Group, officially called PMC Wagner, is a Russian paramilitary organization.
• It is basically a private military company and a network of mercenaries.
• Origin: It first emerged in 2014 during Russia’s annexation of Crimea and has since operated in Syria and at least a half dozen African countries, including Libya, Sudan, Mozambique, Mali, and the Central African Republic.
• It was founded by Yevgeny Prigozhin and Dmitry Utkin, a former special forces officer in Russia's GRU military intelligence.
• Although mercenary forces are technically illegal in Russia, Wagner registered as a "private military company" in 2022.
• Symbol: It is composed of a solid black roundel with a white image of a human skull in the scope, symbolizing victory over death. 
• Its operations have been closely tied to the Russian military and intelligence community.
• Wagner’s services vary based on the needs of its clients, which include rebel groups and regimes, and its funding ranges from direct payment to resource concessions.
• The military units of PMC Wagner numbered varied at different times and according to various sources from 1,350 to 100,000 people.

Q1: What is a Paramilitary organization?

A paramilitary organization (also listed as quasi military) is a semi-militarized force whose organizational structure, tactics, training, subculture, and (often) function are similar to those of a professional military, but is not formally part of a country's armed forces.

Source: Russia's Wagner admits severe losses in Mali battles

About ISTIC-UNESCO: 

• The International Science, Technology and Innovation Centre for South-South Cooperation under the Auspices of UNESCO (ISTIC) which is a UNESCO Category 2 Centre.
• The Malaysian Government has hosted this since 2008.
• The Centre acts as an international platform offering sustainable programmes and services and augmenting sustainable development for South-South Cooperation.
• The Centre’s hosting is based on a six-year Agreement between the Malaysian Government represented by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI) and UNESCO.
• Its current Agreement is from February 2022 until January 2028.
• The Mission of the organization is to be “A leading international platform offering sustainable programmes and services in producing holistic talents towards institutional excellence and augmenting sustainable development for South-South Cooperation.
• It aimed to support the exchange of students, researchers, scientists, and technologists among developing countries.

What is UNESCO Category 2 Centre?

• These institutes and centres under the auspices of UNESCO are a global network of institutions of excellence in the Organization’s domains of competence.
• These centres are a privileged partner of the Organization with access to UNESCO’s logo and international and intergovernmental bodies and networks and may leverage on UNESCO’s international reach and convening powers.
• Category 2 institutes and centres under the auspices of UNESCO are an integral part of the Organization’s Comprehensive Partnership Strategy.

Q1: What is sustainable development?

It is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

Source: First STI Conclave on “Traditional Knowledge for Sustainable Livelihoods” organised jointly by ISTIC-UNESCO and CSIR

About Charles Darwin’s frog: 

• This frog species is endemic to the Andaman Islands.
• It belongs to the family Dicroglossidae, a large group of Asian frogs with over 220 species.
• It is found both male and female Charles Darwins adopting an inverted position on the walls of tree cavities, keeping their bodies completely above the water while mating as well as laying eggs.
• Behaviour: Charles Darwin males produced three types of ‘complex’ calls to woo females.
• When the ‘aggressive’ calls fail to ward off competing males, they begin fighting—kicking and boxing, using forelimbs and hind limbs, and biting off body parts or even the entire head.
• Conservation status
  • IUCN: Vulnerable 
• Concern: The study revealed that these frogs increasingly use artificial objects as breeding sites, such as plastic sapling bags and human trash comprising discarded plastic, glass, and metal containers.
• This shift is likely a response to the loss and fragmentation of forest habitats, forcing the frogs to adapt to the rapidly changing environment on these small islands,” 

Q1: What are amphibians?

Amphibians are cold-blooded vertebrates (vertebrates have backbones) that don't have scales. They live part of their lives in water and part on land. The species in this group include frogs, toads, salamanders, and newts.

Source: Charles Darwin’s frog: Endemic Andaman species breeding in unnatural sites due to habitat loss & competition for limited resources

About Defence Acquisition Council (DAC):

• It is the highest decision-making bodyof the defence ministry on procurement.
• The main objective of the DAC is to ensure expeditious procurement of the approved requirements of the armed forces in terms of capabilities sought and time frame prescribed by optimally utilizing the allocated budgetary resources.
• Formation: It was formed after the Group of Minister's recommendations on 'Reforming the National Security System', in 2001, post-Kargil War (1999).
• Composition:
  • The defence minister is the chairman of DAC.
  • Its members include the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) and chiefs of the Army, Navy, and Air Force.
• Its functions include:
  • Give in principle approval of a 15 yearsLong Term Integrated Perspective Plan (LTIPP) for defence forces.
  • Accord of acceptance of necessity to acquisition proposals. 
  • Categorisation of the acquisition proposals relating to ‘Buy’, ‘Buy & Make’, and ‘Make’. 
  • Look into issues relating to single vendor clearance.
  • Take decisions regarding ‘offset’ provisions in respect of acquisition proposals above Rs 300 crore.
  • Take decisions regarding the Transfer of Technology under the ‘Buy & Make’ category of acquisition proposals. 
  • Field trial evaluation.

Q1: What is the MQ-9B Predator Drone?

The MQ-9B drone is a variant of the MQ-9 "Reaper", an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) capable of remotely controlled or autonomous flight operations. These are high-altitude, long-endurance drones armed with strike missiles that can take out enemy targets with high accuracy. It was developed by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI), primarily for the United States Air Force (USAF). The MQ-9B has two variants — SkyGuardian and its sibling SeaGuardian. The Indian Navy has been operating the MQ-9B Sea Guardian since 2020.

Source: DAC approves amendment to MQ-9B UAV deal with U.S.

About Alderman:

• Alderman is a term that originated from the combination of "old" and "man," indicating an older or experienced person.
• Initially, it referred to elders of a clan or tribe but later evolved to denote the king's viceroys, regardless of age.
• Eventually, it took on a more specific meaning as the "chief magistrate of a county" with both civil and military responsibilities.
• By the 12th century CE, it began to be associated with municipal governments and used to describe officers of municipal bodies. This usage of the term continues to the present day.
• Alderman in India:
  • In India, a General Body of a Municipality or Municipal Corporationis comprisedofelected representatives called Councillors.
  • Councillors can nominate experts in their disciplines of the city to become members of this body. These nominated members are called ‘Aldermen’. 
  • They cannot, however, cast votes in the mayoral election.
  • As ward committee members, they have the right to assist the house in taking decisions of public importance.
• Case of Delhi:
  • As per the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act of 1957, the Lieutenant Governor of the National Capital Territory of Delhi has the authority to nominate ten individuals who are above the age of 25 to the corporation.
  • These individuals are believed to have specialised expertise or experience in municipal administration. 

Q1: What is a Municipal Corporation?

Municipal Corporations, also known as Nagar Nigams, are the highest level of Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) in India. The 74th Constitutional Amendment Act of 1992 gave constitutional recognition to Municipal Corporations and established a formal structure for them.

Source: May pronounce verdict on Delhi govt’s plea against LG’s power to nominate aldermen in MCD: SC