22 Aug | UPSC Current Affairs: Poland, Orangutan Diplomacy, Teesta-V, Vaccine-derived Polio, and Slow Loris

UPSC GS 1

Poland

• News: Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently said he would discuss the peaceful resolution of the conflict in Ukraine as he embarked on a crucial two-nation European tour starting in Poland.
• Overview
  • • Location: Poland is a country in central Europe.
    • Borders: Poland shares borders with seven countries: Germany, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Lithuania, Belarus, Ukraine, and Russia.
    • Landscapes: The country boasts a variety of landscapes, from the sandy beaches of the Baltic Sea coast in the north to the rolling central lowlands and the snow-capped peaks of the Carpathian and Sudeten Mountains in the south.

• History
  • • 18th Century Division: In 1795, Poland was conquered and divided between Russia, Prussia (now Germany), and Austria, ceasing to exist as an independent country for 123 years.
    • Restoration in 1918: After World War I, Poland was restored as a country in 1918. However, in 1939, Germany and the Soviet Union attacked Poland, marking the start of World War II.
    • Communist Era: Following the fall of Nazi Germany, Poland lost its independence again, becoming a communist satellite state of the Soviet Union.
    • Solidarity Movement: In the late 1970s, the Solidarity movement (Solidarność), led by Polish workers and supported by the Catholic Church, challenged the economic and political system. In 1989, the government fell, leading to Poland’s transformation into a democracy.
• Key Facts
  • • Capital: Warsaw
    • Official Language: Polish
    • Currency: Zloty
    • Area: 312,685 sq. km.
    • Major Mountain Ranges: Carpathians, Sudetens
    • Major Rivers: Vistula, Oder
    • Lakes: Poland has more than 1,300 lakes spread throughout the country.
• Government and International Relations
  • • Form of Government: Poland is a parliamentary republic with a prime minister as the head of government and a president as the head of state. The council of ministers plays a central role in government.
    • International Affiliations: Poland is a member of both NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) and the European Union (EU).

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UPSC GS 2

Orangutan Diplomacy

• News: Malaysia’s Plantation and Commodities Minister Johari Ghani has tweaked his earlier proposal of sending critically endangered orangutans as gifts to palm oil-purchasing countries.
• Orangutan Diplomacy: 
  • • Malaysia is the world’s second biggest producer of edible oil after Indonesia.
    • The rapid growth of the palm oil industry has led to widespread deforestation, particularly in biodiversity hotspots of Malaysia, resulting in the destruction of critical habitats for endangered orangutans and other iconic species.
    • Malaysia will offer orangutans as gifts to its major palm oil trading partners such as the EU, India and China, as part of the Orangutan Diplomacy. 
    • This will prove to the global community that Malaysia is committed to biodiversity conservation and a sustainable oil palm producer. 
    • Orangutan programme was inspired by China’s panda diplomacy.
    • Beijing, which operates a giant panda breeding programme, generally loans pandas for 10 years providing the countries meet certain conditions for their care. 
• Orangutans: 
  • • Orangutans, recognized for their distinctive red fur, hold the distinction of being the largest arboreal animals.
    • They spend approximately 90% of their waking hours in tree habitats. 
    • They primarily inhabit the rainforests of Borneo and Sumatra in Indonesia. 

• Unique Physical Traits:
  • • One of the distinctive physical attributes of orangutans is their long arms, capable of spanning up to 7 feet (2.1 meters). 
    • This adaptation facilitates their adept navigation and movement through the forest canopy.
• Intelligence and Behavior:
  • • Orangutans are renowned for their intelligence, demonstrated through their adept use of tools and problem-solving skills. 
    • Remarkably, they share 96.4% of their genes with humans. 
    • Additionally, they exhibit highly social behaviors, living in small groups led by female leaders.
• Dietary Habits:
  • • As frugivores, orangutans primarily subsist on a diet of fruits. 
    • However, they also consume leaves, flowers, insects, bark, and bird eggs to supplement their nutritional needs.
• IUCN Conservation Status: Critically Endangered

UPSC GS 3

Teesta-V Hydropower Station

• News: A severe landslide in Sikkim has destroyed the Teesta-V hydropower station of the state-owned NHPC Limited. 
  • • The Teesta-V Hydropower Station is a 510 MW project located in the Teesta River basin in Gangtok district, Sikkim.
    • This is a run-of-river project with an 88.6-meter-high and 176.5-meter-long concrete gravity dam, which impounds a regulating reservoir for daily power peaking.
    • The project was developed in a single phase, with construction beginning in 1999 and commercial operations starting in 2008.
    • The National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) is responsible for the development and ownership of the project.

• Teesta River
  • • The Teesta River is a trans-Himalayan river that flows through the Indian states of Sikkim and West Bengal, and also through Rangpur in Bangladesh.
    • It serves as a tributary of the Brahmaputra River and forms a boundary between Sikkim and West Bengal.
• Course of the Teesta River
  • • The Teesta River originates in the Himalayas near Chunthang in Sikkim, India.
    • Flowing southwards, it cuts a deep gorge through the Siwalik Hills east of Darjeeling in West Bengal.
    • The river then turns southeast and passes through the Sivok Khola pass before entering the plains of West Bengal.
    • Originally, the Teesta River flowed directly into the Padma River (Ganges), but in 1787, it changed its course to flow eastward, joining the Jamuna River (Brahmaputra) in Bangladesh.
    • The river has a total length of about 309 kilometers and drains an area of around 12,540 square kilometers.
• Major Tributaries of the Teesta River
  • • Left-bank Tributaries: Lachung Chhu, Chakung Chhu, Dik Chhu, Rani Khola, and Rangpo Chhu.
    • Right-bank Tributaries: Zemu Chhu, Rangyong Chhu, and Rangit River.

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Vaccine-derived Polio

• News: Recently a two-year-old child from Meghalaya tested positive for polio. However, Health Ministry officials said the case was vaccine-derived.
• Vaccine-Derived Poliovirus (VDPV):
  • •  This is a variant of the poliovirus that originates from the strain used in the Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV). 
    • The OPV contains a live, weakened version of the poliovirus, which replicates temporarily in the intestine to stimulate the immune system and help develop immunity against the virus.
• Vaccine Composition
  • • Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV): This vaccine includes a weakened form of the poliovirus, which is designed to trigger an immune response without causing the disease itself.
• Development of cVDPV:
  • • In rare cases, especially in areas with low immunization coverage, the weakened virus from the OPV can be excreted by vaccinated individuals, circulate within the community, and undergo genetic mutations. 
    • If these changes lead to the virus regaining the ability to cause paralysis, it becomes a circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus (cVDPV).

• Global Immunization Efforts:
  • •  Since 2000, over 10 billion doses of Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) have been administered globally. 
    • Despite these efforts, there have been 24 outbreaks of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus (cVDPV) in 21 countries, with fewer than 760 reported cases.
• Prevention Strategy: 
  • • The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends conducting multiple rounds of high-quality immunisation campaigns to prevent the transmission of cVDPV.
• Key Facts about Polio
  • • Nature of the Disease: Polio is a viral infectious disease that can lead to irreversible paralysis and, in severe cases, death by attacking the nervous system.
    • Wild Poliovirus Strains: Three Strains:
      • Wild Poliovirus Type 1 (WPV1)
      • Wild Poliovirus Type 2 (WPV2)
      • Wild Poliovirus Type 3 (WPV3)
    • Eradication Challenge: Each strain of the poliovirus has genetic and virological differences, requiring distinct eradication strategies despite their similar symptomatic presentations.
    • Transmission
    • Mode of Spread: Polio primarily spreads via the fecal-oral route. The virus multiplies in the intestine and can invade the nervous system. Children under five are the most susceptible.
    • Vaccines for Polio
      • Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV): Administered at birth, followed by three primary doses at 6, 10, and 14 weeks, and a booster dose between 16-24 months.
      • Injectable Polio Vaccine (IPV): Given as an additional dose alongside the third dose of the DPT (Diphtheria, Pertussis, and Tetanus) vaccine under India’s Universal Immunization Programme (UIP).
• India’s Polio-Free Status: India was declared polio-free by the World Health Organization in 2014, with the last reported wild poliovirus case occurring in 2011.

Slow Loris

• News: Villagers in Shimlabagan, a remote area near the Indo-Bhutan border in Shantipur, reported the sighting of an endangered primate, the Slow Loris.
• Overview of Slow Loris
• Distribution: Found exclusively in South and Southeast Asia, slow lorises are the world’s only venomous primates.
• Habitat: 
  • • They are arboreal, living primarily in trees, and are usually seen curling up to sleep in branches or moving through vines and leaves. 
    • They come down to the forest floor mainly to defecate.

• Species
  • • Nine Species: All slow loris species belong to the same genus, with shared characteristics and behaviors. The species include:
    • Philippine slow loris
    • Bengal slow loris
    • Greater slow loris
    • Kayan slow loris
    • Bangka slow loris
    • Bornean slow loris
    • Sumatran slow loris
    • Javan slow loris
    • Pygmy slow loris
• Range: Found from Vietnam to China, but in India, they are confined to the northeast region.
• Physical Characteristics:
  • • Nocturnal with large, round eyes adapted for night vision.
    • Compact bodies with short snouts, dense fur, and distinctive facial markings.
    • Size: Typically 20 to 37 cm (10 to 15 inches) long.
• Venom:
  • • They have a bare patch under their arm that secretes oil.
    • When threatened, they lick the oil, which mixes with their saliva to form venom potent enough to kill small arthropods and mammals.
• Hunting and Feeding:
  • • Slow lorises are skilled hunters, using their deliberate movements to catch insects and small vertebrates.
    • They have a specialised toothcomb used for grooming and extracting gum from trees.
    • Omnivorous, feeding on both plant and animal matter.
• Behavior
  • • Solitary and Territorial: Slow lorises are generally solitary animals and can remain motionless for extended periods.
    • Diet: They are omnivores, feeding on a varied diet that includes insects, small vertebrates, and plant materials.
• Conservation Status: Listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List and legally protected under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.