Sarvan Kuben:
Does Worker Ants have two stomach ?
Worker ants, responsible for the feeding of the colony, have two stomachs. The first is for its own food, and the other is where it stores food that it will regurgitate to feed its fellow ants.
Does Worker Ants have two stomach ?
Worker ants, responsible for the feeding of the colony, have two stomachs. The first is for its own food, and the other is where it stores food that it will regurgitate to feed its fellow ants.
Thanjavur painting is a classical South Indian painting style, which was inaugurated from the town of Thanjavur (anglicized as Tanjore) and spread across the adjoining and geographically contiguous Tamil country. The art form draws its immediate resources and inspiration from way back about 1600 AD, a period when the Nayakas of Thanjavur under the suzerainty of the Vijayanagara Rayas encouraged art—chiefly, classical dance and music—as well as literature, both in Telugu and Tamil and painting of chiefly Hindu religious subjects in temples.It is distinguished by its famous gold coating. However, it can safely be surmised that Thanjavur painting, as we know it now, originated in the Maratha court of Thanjavur (1676 - 1855)
📝 Nepal China inks hydro power projects
From UPSC perspective, following things are important:
🔘 Prelims level: Not much
🔘 Mains level:
The article shows increased activities of China in Nepal. These activities are strategically important for India. But to be honest, it is just an FYI card. Read it and forget it!
🔴 What:
Nepal has signed an agreement with a Chinese company to build the largest hydroelectric(1,200 megawatt Budhi-Gandaki) plant in the country
🔘 Chinese company: the China Gezhouba Group Corporation(CGGC)
🔘 Estimates put the project cost at $2.5 billion
Energy producing capacity of Nepal.
🔘 Water-rich Nepal has a mountain river system that could make it an energy-producing powerhouse
But instead it imports much of its electricity from India.
🔘 According to experts, Nepal could generate 83,000 megawatts, but its total installed generation capacity currently stands at less than 2% of that
Current projects of CGGC in Nepal.
🔘 The CGGC is currently building three smaller hydropower plants in Nepal and has completed another one.
🔘 But critics have complained that the projects have consistently run over time and over budget.
#GS2 #InternationalRelation
@UPSC_2018
From UPSC perspective, following things are important:
🔘 Prelims level: Not much
🔘 Mains level:
The article shows increased activities of China in Nepal. These activities are strategically important for India. But to be honest, it is just an FYI card. Read it and forget it!
🔴 What:
Nepal has signed an agreement with a Chinese company to build the largest hydroelectric(1,200 megawatt Budhi-Gandaki) plant in the country
🔘 Chinese company: the China Gezhouba Group Corporation(CGGC)
🔘 Estimates put the project cost at $2.5 billion
Energy producing capacity of Nepal.
🔘 Water-rich Nepal has a mountain river system that could make it an energy-producing powerhouse
But instead it imports much of its electricity from India.
🔘 According to experts, Nepal could generate 83,000 megawatts, but its total installed generation capacity currently stands at less than 2% of that
Current projects of CGGC in Nepal.
🔘 The CGGC is currently building three smaller hydropower plants in Nepal and has completed another one.
🔘 But critics have complained that the projects have consistently run over time and over budget.
#GS2 #InternationalRelation
@UPSC_2018
📝 El Nino is weaker than anticipated: IMD
From UPSC perspective following things important:
🔘 Prelims level: El Nino, La Nino and IOD concepts. Read the connected newstrail to fill in the static gaps in your understanding
🔘 Mains level: These kind of phenomenons are important for the static part of the syllabus. Expect a direct question if already not asked
🔴 What:
The India Meteorological Department(IMD) is expecting better this year.
🔴 Why:
Because El Nino would be much weaker than anticipated.
🔘 New monsoon forecast system: IMD has shifted to a new monsoon forecast system, called a dynamical model that works by supercomputers simulating the weather and extrapolating it(i.e. Deducing the weather by assuming that existing trends will continue).
🔴 What is El Nino?
🔘 The El Nino is characterised by surface waters of the equatorial Pacific warming up by more than half a degree
🔘 It is known to negativey affect monsoon rain every six out of 10 years
🔘 A positive Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) is said to buffer the impact of El Nino and contribute to better rains
🔘 The Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) is also known as the Indian Niño,
IOD is an irregular oscillation of sea-surface temperatures in which the western Indian Ocean becomes alternately warmer and then colder than the eastern part of the ocean
🔘 The IOD is a swing in surface temperatures that turns the western Indian Ocean alternately warmer and then colder than the eastern part of the ocean
#Prelims #GS1 #Geography
@UPSC_2018
From UPSC perspective following things important:
🔘 Prelims level: El Nino, La Nino and IOD concepts. Read the connected newstrail to fill in the static gaps in your understanding
🔘 Mains level: These kind of phenomenons are important for the static part of the syllabus. Expect a direct question if already not asked
🔴 What:
The India Meteorological Department(IMD) is expecting better this year.
🔴 Why:
Because El Nino would be much weaker than anticipated.
🔘 New monsoon forecast system: IMD has shifted to a new monsoon forecast system, called a dynamical model that works by supercomputers simulating the weather and extrapolating it(i.e. Deducing the weather by assuming that existing trends will continue).
🔴 What is El Nino?
🔘 The El Nino is characterised by surface waters of the equatorial Pacific warming up by more than half a degree
🔘 It is known to negativey affect monsoon rain every six out of 10 years
🔘 A positive Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) is said to buffer the impact of El Nino and contribute to better rains
🔘 The Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) is also known as the Indian Niño,
IOD is an irregular oscillation of sea-surface temperatures in which the western Indian Ocean becomes alternately warmer and then colder than the eastern part of the ocean
🔘 The IOD is a swing in surface temperatures that turns the western Indian Ocean alternately warmer and then colder than the eastern part of the ocean
#Prelims #GS1 #Geography
@UPSC_2018
Forwarded from Kubendran Mohan
Red Sea or Erythraean Sea
The Red Sea is a seawater inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. The connection to the ocean is in the south through the Bab el Mandeb strait and the Gulf of Aden. In the north, there is the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and the Gulf of Suez (leading to the Suez Canal).
The Red Sea is a Global 200 Eco-region. It is the world's northernmost tropical sea.
Bordering countries:
Western Shore - Egypt, Sudan, Eritrea, Djibouti
Eastern Shore - Saudi Arabia, Yemen
The Red Sea is a seawater inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. The connection to the ocean is in the south through the Bab el Mandeb strait and the Gulf of Aden. In the north, there is the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and the Gulf of Suez (leading to the Suez Canal).
The Red Sea is a Global 200 Eco-region. It is the world's northernmost tropical sea.
Bordering countries:
Western Shore - Egypt, Sudan, Eritrea, Djibouti
Eastern Shore - Saudi Arabia, Yemen
*GST world rates*
Australia ----10%
Bahrain -----5%
Canada -----15%
china---------17%
japan --------8%
Korea ------10%
Kuwait -----5%
Malaysia ----6%
Mauritius -----15%
Mexico ----16%
Myanmar----3%
New Zealand ---15%
Phillipines ---12%
Russian federation--18%
Singapore 7%
South Africa ---14%
Thailand ---7%
UAE-----5%
America (usa). ----7.5%
Vietnam ----10%
Zimbabwe ---15%
Greatest india
the next super power as per our politicians
18% to 28%
and for petrol v pay separate tax of Over 60%.
Australia ----10%
Bahrain -----5%
Canada -----15%
china---------17%
japan --------8%
Korea ------10%
Kuwait -----5%
Malaysia ----6%
Mauritius -----15%
Mexico ----16%
Myanmar----3%
New Zealand ---15%
Phillipines ---12%
Russian federation--18%
Singapore 7%
South Africa ---14%
Thailand ---7%
UAE-----5%
America (usa). ----7.5%
Vietnam ----10%
Zimbabwe ---15%
Greatest india
the next super power as per our politicians
18% to 28%
and for petrol v pay separate tax of Over 60%.
📝 Water quality index set to be announced soon
Note4students:
The news card has details on Water Quality Index, a new step in the field of environment pollution control.
Few takeaways:
🔘 Prelims Level: The three models being considered and parameters involved, find out about the present classification
🔘 Mains Level: Nothing as of yet. Let’s hope we have an op-ed coming out soon
Keep tab of this news development.
🔴 Context:
It is being planned to introduce a certain and easy way to find out pollution levels in water.
🔴 Who proposed this?
It is based on the proposal of the Telangana State Pollution Control Board (TSPCB).
🔘 The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) is working on coming up with a Water Quality Index, on the lines of Air Quality Index (AQI).
🔴 5+ states involved:
A committee has been formed with senior environment scientists from Telangana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and other States to formulate models to assess the water quality
🔴 Three models proposed & why?
The members felt that the present classification was not rational.
🔘 The committee has closely studied similar models existing in Australia and Canada
Taking four perimeters into consideration, the committee has developed three different models
Parameters involved.
🔘 The parameters are limited to only four
Since developing an index for water quality is complex than air quality, it is decided to have three different models for lakes and rivers, ground water and coastal waters.
🔘 The committee members also want to classify the lakes, groundwater and the coastal waters across the country based on the Water Quality Index.
👉 Back2basics:
🔴 Central Pollution Control Board
🔘 What: The CPCB of India is a statutory organisation under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC)
🔘 When: It was established in 1974. It was established under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974. CPCB is also entrusted with the powers and functions under the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981. It serves as a field formation and also provides technical services to the Ministry of Environment and Forests under the provisions of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. It co-ordinates the activities of the State Pollution Control Boards by providing technical assistance and guidance and also resolves disputes among them. It is the apex organisation in country in the field of pollution control, as a technical wing of MoEF.
The board is led by its chairman, who is nominated by the Central Government.
CPCB has its head office in New Delhi, with seven zonal offices and 5 laboratories.
🔘 Functions of CPCB
The board conducts environmental assessments and research.
It is responsible for maintaining national standards under a variety of environmental laws, in consultation with zonal offices, tribal, and local governments.
It has responsibilities to conduct monitoring of water and air quality, and maintains monitoring data.
The agency also works with industries and all levels of government in a wide variety of voluntary pollution prevention programs and energy conservation efforts.
It advises the central government to prevent and control water and air pollution.
It also advises the Governments of Union Territories on industrial and other sources of water and air pollution.
#GS3 #Prelims #Environment #Pollution
@UPSC_2018
Note4students:
The news card has details on Water Quality Index, a new step in the field of environment pollution control.
Few takeaways:
🔘 Prelims Level: The three models being considered and parameters involved, find out about the present classification
🔘 Mains Level: Nothing as of yet. Let’s hope we have an op-ed coming out soon
Keep tab of this news development.
🔴 Context:
It is being planned to introduce a certain and easy way to find out pollution levels in water.
🔴 Who proposed this?
It is based on the proposal of the Telangana State Pollution Control Board (TSPCB).
🔘 The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) is working on coming up with a Water Quality Index, on the lines of Air Quality Index (AQI).
🔴 5+ states involved:
A committee has been formed with senior environment scientists from Telangana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and other States to formulate models to assess the water quality
🔴 Three models proposed & why?
The members felt that the present classification was not rational.
🔘 The committee has closely studied similar models existing in Australia and Canada
Taking four perimeters into consideration, the committee has developed three different models
Parameters involved.
🔘 The parameters are limited to only four
Since developing an index for water quality is complex than air quality, it is decided to have three different models for lakes and rivers, ground water and coastal waters.
🔘 The committee members also want to classify the lakes, groundwater and the coastal waters across the country based on the Water Quality Index.
👉 Back2basics:
🔴 Central Pollution Control Board
🔘 What: The CPCB of India is a statutory organisation under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC)
🔘 When: It was established in 1974. It was established under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974. CPCB is also entrusted with the powers and functions under the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981. It serves as a field formation and also provides technical services to the Ministry of Environment and Forests under the provisions of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. It co-ordinates the activities of the State Pollution Control Boards by providing technical assistance and guidance and also resolves disputes among them. It is the apex organisation in country in the field of pollution control, as a technical wing of MoEF.
The board is led by its chairman, who is nominated by the Central Government.
CPCB has its head office in New Delhi, with seven zonal offices and 5 laboratories.
🔘 Functions of CPCB
The board conducts environmental assessments and research.
It is responsible for maintaining national standards under a variety of environmental laws, in consultation with zonal offices, tribal, and local governments.
It has responsibilities to conduct monitoring of water and air quality, and maintains monitoring data.
The agency also works with industries and all levels of government in a wide variety of voluntary pollution prevention programs and energy conservation efforts.
It advises the central government to prevent and control water and air pollution.
It also advises the Governments of Union Territories on industrial and other sources of water and air pollution.
#GS3 #Prelims #Environment #Pollution
@UPSC_2018