UPSC GS 1
Korowai Tribe
- News: An Indian travel vlogger recently travelled deep into the jungles of Indonesia to meet the Korowai tribe, often referred to as a ‘human-eating’ tribe, and documented his experience on social media.
- Korowai Tribe:
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- Location: The Korowai are an indigenous tribe residing in the southeastern region of Papua, Indonesia.
- Connection with Nature: The tribe is deeply connected to the forest, which serves as their primary source of survival through hunting, gathering wild animals, and harvesting plants.
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- Historical Isolation:
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- Limited Contact with the Outside World: Until approximately 1975, the Korowai people lived in complete isolation with almost no interaction with outsiders.
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- Unique Treehouses:
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- Architectural Style: They are renowned for their distinctive treehouses, which are typically built 8–15 meters above the ground.
- Larger Structures: Some houses are constructed as high as 45 meters on tall trees, showcasing remarkable architectural skills.
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- Social Structure:
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- Lack of Hierarchy: The Korowai do not follow a rigid social hierarchy. Instead, they value equality and strive to maintain harmony within the community.
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- Controversial Cultural Practice:
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- Cannibalism in Historical Context: The Korowai gained media attention due to their association with cannibalism—historically believed to be linked to their spiritual and social beliefs.
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- Decline of the Practice: Although cannibalism was practiced in the past, it has largely diminished in recent years.
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UPSC GS 2
Agreement on Kartarpur Corridor
- News: India and Pakistan recently agreed to renew their agreement for another five years to operate the Kartarpur Corridor to facilitate pilgrims from India to visit the Kartarpur Sahib Gurdwara.
- Kartarpur Corridor: It is a 4 km-long Corridor that offers visa-free access for Indian Sikh pilgrims to visit Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, the final resting place of Guru Nanak Dev, founder of Sikhism.
- About the Agreement:
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- Extension of Agreement: India and Pakistan have agreed to renew the Kartarpur Corridor agreement, initially signed in 2019, for another five years.
- Validity: The extension ensures that Indian pilgrims can continue visiting the Kartarpur Sahib Gurdwara in Narowal, Pakistan, until 2029.
- Uninterrupted Operations: The original pact, effective from October 24, 2019, was valid for five years. This renewal guarantees the smooth functioning of the corridor, supporting the pilgrimage of the Indian Sikh community.
- Service Fee Issue: Despite negotiations, India could not convince Pakistan to remove the $20 (around ₹1,680) service fee per pilgrim.
- Pakistan’s Justification: Pakistan maintains that the fee helps recover the $17 million spent on renovating and maintaining the gurdwara.
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International Incoming Spoofed Calls Prevention System
- News: Union Minister for Communications Jyotiraditya Scindia recently launched the International Incoming Spoofed Calls Prevention System in New Delhi.
- About International Incoming Spoofed Calls Prevention System:
- Launched by: Ministry of Communications and the Ministry of Development of the North Eastern Region.
- Developed by: Department of Telecommunications (DoT) in collaboration with Telecom Service Providers (TSPs).
- Objective: The system aims to protect Indian citizens from cyber frauds executed through spoofed international calls.
- Key Features of the System:
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- Blocking Fraudulent Calls: This system identifies and blocks fraudulent calls before they reach the intended recipients, reducing the risk of scams.
- Performance in First 24 Hours: On its first day of operation, the system blocked approximately 13.5 million spoofed calls, representing 90% of all international incoming calls.
- Enhanced Security: It is expected to drastically reduce scam calls that manipulate caller IDs to resemble local Indian numbers, ensuring greater safety for telecom users.
- Part of a Broader Initiative: This system is a step toward fortifying India’s telecom infrastructure and is aligned with the government’s efforts to combat cybercrime.
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- About Spoofed Calls:
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- Spoofed calls are scams where the caller intentionally falsifies the information displayed on the recipient’s caller ID to conceal their real identity.
- Scammers manipulate the Calling Line Identity (CLI) to make international calls appear as if they are from Indian numbers, typically in the format +91-xxxxxxxxxx.
- Financial scams that deceive people into sharing sensitive financial information or making unauthorised payments.
- Scammers also impersonate government officials, law enforcement officers, or even family members to extract money or data.
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UPSC GS 3
E.coli
- News: One person has died and 10 have been hospitalised in the US due to an E.coli infection after eating McDonald’s burgers.
- Definition:
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- Escherichia coli (E. coli) is a bacterium that is commonly found in the gut of humans and warm-blooded animals.
- Most types of E. coli are harmless or cause relatively brief diarrhea.
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- Spread: Most intestinal infections occur due to the ingestion of contaminated food or water. E. coli causes infections in gut (GI tract), urinary tract and other parts of the body.
- Symptoms: Strains, such as E. coli O157:H7, can cause severe stomach cramps, bloody diarrhea and vomiting.
- Treatment: E.coli is a bacterial infection for which antibiotics are prescribed.
Dry Port
- News: Bihar Industry minister Nitish Mishra recently inaugurated the state’s first dry port at Bihta, a town near state capital Patna.
- What is a dry port and why was it needed in Bihar?
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- A dry port, or Inland Container Depot (ICD), provides logistics facilities for cargo handling, storage, and transportation away from seaports or airports.
- It acts as a bridge between sea/airports and inland regions, ensuring smooth movement of goods.
- Bihar required a dry port to support exports of agro-based, garment, and leather products manufactured in various locations across the state.
- Consolidating cargo from multiple shippers at the dry port simplifies transportation.
- The dry port also manages customs clearance, reducing congestion at seaports and airports.
- It helps streamline transportation, reduce costs, and improve cargo storage and handling.
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- Overview of the Bihta Dry Port:
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- Operates in a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) mode.
- Managed by Pristine Magadh Infrastructure Private Limited in collaboration with the state industry department.
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- Key Export Products of Bihar
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- Agriculture: Potato, tomato, banana, litchi, and makhana (fox nuts).
- Maize: 11 districts, especially in North Bihar, focus on maize production (e.g., Khagaria, Begusarai, Saharsa, Purnea).
- Industrial Products: Sponge iron, packed food, waste paper, newsprint, rice, and meat.
- Leather and Garments: Leather manufacturing units in Muzaffarpur, East Champaran, and West Champaran.
- Food Processing: Vaishali, Nalanda, Patna, and Begusarai have potential in processed food exports.
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- Export Performance and Potential:
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- Bihar recorded exports worth Rs 20,000 crore in 2022-23.
- The ICD Bihta is expected to boost export capacity further.
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- Benefits for Adjoining States:
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- Connected by railways to major gateway ports, including Kolkata and Haldia (West Bengal), Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh), Nhava Sheva (Maharashtra), and Mundra (Gujarat).
- Can cater to the entire eastern India region.
- Provides logistical advantages to neighboring states such as Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, and Odisha.
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Anguiculus Dicaprioi
- News: A new snake species discovered by a team of researchers in western Himalayas, has been named after Hollywood actor and producer Leonardo DiCaprio in honour for his contribution towards conservation.
- Taxonomy: This species belongs to the family Colubridae, which is the largest snake family globally, encompassing 304 genera and 1,938 species.
- Features:
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- Dentition: Anguiculus dicaprioi possesses numerous small teeth.
- Size: The snake measures approximately 22 inches in length.
- Physical Characteristics: It has a broad collar adorned with small dark brown spots, a robust skull, and a steeply domed snout.
- Altitude: This species is typically found at elevations around 6,000 feet above sea level.
- Common Name: Researchers have proposed the common name “DiCaprio’s Himalayan snake” for this species.
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- Distribution:
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- Geographical Range: Anguiculus dicaprioi can be found in regions such as Chamba, Kullu, and Shimla in Himachal Pradesh, Nainital in Uttarakhand, and Chitwan National Park in Nepal.
- Activity Period: These snakes are primarily active from late May to August and are rarely observed outside this timeframe.
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- What are Colubrid Snakes?
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- Definition: Colubrids refer to a diverse group of mostly nonvenomous snakes that belong to the family Colubridae.
- Diversity: This family includes over 1,800 species, making it one of the largest snake families.
- Physical Traits: Colubrid snakes are characterized by the absence of hind limbs.
- Global Distribution: They inhabit various regions worldwide, excluding Antarctica and certain remote oceanic islands.
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- Habitats:
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- Environmental Range: Colubrid snakes can be found in diverse habitats, including forests, grasslands, deserts, wetlands, and aquatic environments.
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- Venom:
- General Characteristics: Most colubrid species are non-venomous.
- Notable Examples: Some well-known colubrids include king snakes, water snakes, milk snakes, garter snakes, racers, rat snakes, ring-necked snakes, hog-nosed snakes, and the venomous boomslang.
Cobenfy
- News: Recently, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a drug called Cobenfy to treat schizophrenia.
- Definition: Cobenfy is a newly approved medication by the FDA designed to treat schizophrenia in adults. It combines two drugs—xanomeline and trospium chloride.
- Mechanism of Action: Unlike conventional antipsychotics that target dopamine receptors, Cobenfy works by stimulating muscarinic acetylcholine receptors (M1 and M4).
- Clinical Trials: Studies have demonstrated that Cobenfy significantly alleviates symptoms associated with schizophrenia.
- Risks and Side Effects: Some of the reported risks include gastrointestinal discomfort, elevated heart rate, and allergic reactions such as angioedema.
- Contraindications: This medication is unsuitable for individuals with specific health conditions, such as narrow-angle glaucoma or moderate-to-severe liver and kidney problems.
- About Schizophrenia:
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- Definition: Schizophrenia is a chronic mental health disorder that severely impacts a person’s thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. It is marked by episodes of psychosis, which distort the individual’s perception of reality.
- Onset and Impact: Symptoms usually manifest during late adolescence or early adulthood. The disorder can reduce life expectancy by 13–15 years due to associated comorbidities and unhealthy lifestyle choices, with a 5% suicide rate among affected individuals.
- Symptoms of Schizophrenia: Delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech, trouble with thinking and lack of motivation.
- Causes of Schizophrenia: Multiple genetic variants collectively contribute to an individual’s susceptibility to the disorder. Prenatal complications, when combined with genetic predispositions, significantly increase the likelihood of developing schizophrenia. Abnormalities in brain development during early life stages also play a role in the disorder’s complexity.
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- Xanomeline and Trospium: Mechanism of Action:
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- Xanomeline: A muscarinic receptor agonist that enhances parasympathetic activity, offering improvements in various schizophrenia symptoms.
- Trospium: An antimuscarinic agent that helps counteract the adverse effects caused by xanomeline.
- Cobenfy’s Side Effects and Cost: Common side effects include nausea, indigestion, hypertension, tachycardia, and dizziness.
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Cloud Chamber
- News: India is building a cloud chamber as part of Mission Mausam.
- About Cloud Chamber:
- Overview: A cloud chamber is a cylindrical or tubular closed structure where water vapor, aerosols, and other components are introduced under controlled temperature and humidity conditions to facilitate cloud formation.
- Purpose: It allows scientists to investigate the formation of cloud droplets and ice particles in a controlled environment, helping to understand cloud dynamics.
- Objectives of the Convective Cloud Chamber:
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- Cloud Behavior Analysis: Study the behavior of clouds under normal and extreme weather conditions.
- Intra-particle Interactions: Examine interactions between particles within clouds and their role in rain and ice particle formation.
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- Aim: The project seeks to understand the interactions between moisture and clouds influenced by systems such as cyclones and low-pressure areas. The insights will support strategies for weather modification.
- Significance of the Convective Cloud Chamber:
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- Limited Availability Worldwide: Only a few convective cloud chambers exist globally, designed specifically to study clouds under convective conditions.
- Indian Context: The chamber will focus on Indian monsoon clouds, helping researchers better understand cloud behavior in the country’s specific weather conditions.
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- Applications of the Cloud Chamber:
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- Simulated Experiments: Scientists will recreate various environmental conditions—such as temperature, humidity, and convection—within the chamber to study cloud behavior.
- Advanced Instrumentation Development: In the next 18–24 months, efforts will focus on designing sophisticated probes and instruments for deeper investigation when the chamber becomes operational.
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- India’s Experience with Cloud Seeding:
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- CAIPEEX Programme: India’s cloud seeding efforts include the Cloud Aerosol Interaction and Precipitation Enhancement Experiment (CAIPEEX), conducted over four phases in Maharashtra.
- Seeding Results: Cloud seeding under favorable conditions has shown the potential to increase rainfall by up to 46% in specific areas.
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- Limitations: While cloud seeding has demonstrated potential, it is not considered a one-size-fits-all solution for addressing rainfall shortages across different regions.
