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REVISION SERIES FOR IAS PRELIMS ARTICLE 1

The following points are important for the upcoming IAS prelims exam 2020. As it is revision series, points are covered in a brief way. So, if you don’t have any information about any topic, kindly google it.

 

International Relations

Indian Ocean Commission (IOC)

  • India joined as an Observer Member of IOC in March 2020.
  • The IOC is a regional forum in the Southwest Indian Ocean.
  • It comprises of five nations — Comoros, France (Reunion), Madagascar, Mauritius, and Seychelles.
  • France is a preeminent member.

European Maritime Awareness in the Strait of Hormuz (EMASOH)

  • The aim is “to monitor maritime activity and guarantee freedom of navigation in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz.”
  • The EMASOH headquarters is composed of Belgium, Denmark, Netherlands, and French officers.
  • It is based on the French naval base in Abu Dhabi.

Russia-India-China (RIC) forum

  • RIC came together as a strategic triangle in the late 1990s.
  • The aim was to counterbalance the Western alliance.
  • The Russian goal was the “end[ing] its foreign policy guided by the US,” and rebuilding old partnerships with countries like India nurturing relatively newer friendships such as with China.

Eurasian Group on Combating Money Laundering and Financing of Terrorism (EAG)

  • The EAG is a regional body comprising nine countries: India, Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Belarus.
  • It is an associate member of the FATF.

India- China border issue

  • Finger 4- LAC according to China
  • Finger 8- LAC according to India
  • Finger 4 is eight kilometers west of Finger 8

 

Environment 

Athirappilly Falls

  • The Athirappilly Falls is situated on the Chalakudy river, at the entrance to the Sholayar ranges of the Western Ghats.
  • This area is the only place in the Western Ghats where four endangered hornbill species are seen.
  • The International Bird Association has declared it an “Important Bird Area”

Malabar gliding frog (Rhacophorus malabaricus)

  • IUCN status- Least concern
  • A rare amphibian can glide in the air up to 10 to 12 meters.
  • The frog is endemic to the rainforests of Western Ghats.
  • Males are smaller than females.
  • The Malabar gliding frog population was declining due to deforestation, climate change, developmental activities, toxic chemicals, and so on.

Atapaka Bird Sanctuary

  • Atapaka Bird Sanctuary is located in Kolleru Lake on the borders of Krishna and West Godavari districts.
  • This has been identified as the largest spot-billed pelican home in the world.

Solar panels

  • The solar panels consist of heavy metals like mercury, lead, zinc, and cadmium.
  • When buried in the ground, solar panels can contaminate soil, water bodies, and if burnt, they contaminate the air

Lonar lake, Buldhana Dist., Maharashtra

  • Recently lake water has turned pink in color.
  • There is a large quantity of a unique material called ‘Ejecta Blanket’, which contains is a substance found on the moon.

Manta ray ( Mobula birostris )

  • IUCN status- vulnerable.
  • In India, it has been sighted in Andhra Pradesh, Andaman Islands, Tamil Nadu, Goa, Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Kerala.

State Wildlife Board

  • The Chairperson of the Board is the Chief Minister of the State or the Administrator in the case of Union Territories.
  • The Vice-Chairperson is the Minister in charge of Forests and Wildlife.
  • The Member-Secretary is the Chief Wildlife Warden.
  • It is empowered to exercise powers bestowed upon it under the Wildlife Act, 1972.

Sharavathi sanctuary

  • It is also called – Sharavathi Valley Lion Tailed Macaque (LTM) Sanctuary.
  • It is a protected wildlife sanctuary in the Western Ghats of Karnataka.
  • The Sharavathi LTM Wildlife Sanctuary has Southern Tropical Evergreen Type, Southern Tropical Semi-evergreen Forest.
  • The sanctuary is known for Myristica swamps, unique freshwater swamp forests that comprise perennial streams and flora networks.

Myristica swamps 

  • Myristica swamps are a type of freshwater swamp forest predominantly composed of species of Myristica.
  • These are found in two localities in India
  • Myristica swamps have adapted to inundation by way of stilt roots and knee roots. 
  • Myristica swamps are found in the Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka State and in the southern parts of Kerala State.

Miyawaki technique

  • It originated in Japan.
  • It is named after the Japanese botanist and plant ecologist Akira Miyawaki.
  • It has revolutionized the concept of urban afforestation by turning backyards into mini-forests.

 

History and Culture

Tungabhadra Pushkaram

  • It is a festival of River Tungabhadra normally occurs once in 12 years.
  • This Pushkaram is observed for a period of 12 days.
  • Celebrated in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana.

Ambubachi festival

  • It is celebrated the Kamakhya temple, Nilachal Hill, Guwahati, Assam
  • This marks the annual ‘menstruation’ of the presiding Goddess.

Thirumantiram

  • It is a Tamil poetic work written in the 12th century by Thirumular.
  • It is the tenth of the twelve volumes of the Tirumurai, the key texts of Shaiva Siddhanta.
  • Tirumantiram’s literal meaning is “Sacred mantra” or “Holy incantation”.

Pashupatinath temple

  • Location- Kathmandu, Nepal.
  • It is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Bommalammagutta 

  • It was the first capital of the Rashtrakuta dynasty.
  • Rashtrakuta dynasty ruled the Telangana region and adopted Jainism.

Talamaddale

  • It is a variant of the Yakshagana theatre.
  • Music is common for both Yakshagana performance and ‘talamaddale’.
  • The Talamade has only spoken word without any dance or costumes.

 

Important Locations

Galwan River

  • It is one of the upstream tributaries of the Indus River.
  • The river has its source in Aksai Chin, on China’s side of the LAC, and it flows east to Ladakh, where it meets the Shyok river on India’s side of the LAC.
  • The valley is strategically located between Ladakh in the west and Aksai Chin in the east.

Pavagada solar park

  • Located in Tumakuru, Karnataka.
  • It is the world’s largest utility-scale solar power farm.

Hogenakkal Falls

  • Sometimes referred to as the “Niagara Falls of India”.
  • A waterfall in South India on the Kaveri river.
  • On the border between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

Miscellaneous

  • Silver Line project– semi high-speed trains in Kerala 
  • Protected Special Agriculture Zone– Cauvery delta region, Tamil Nadu
  • Colombo Declarationfor Tackling global nitrogen challenge, adopted by UNEP member states.
  • INSTEX– payment mechanism set up for Iran by European countries
  •  SAVE programme– Saving Asia’s Vultures from Extinction, Initiative of IUCN
  • Gogabeel– an ox-bow lake in Bihar’s Katihar, declared as the state’s first ‘Community Reserve
  • SAANS campaign-launched in Gujarat by MoHFW aims to reduce child mortality due to pneumonia
  • National Maritime Heritage Museumat Lothal in Gujarat, implemented by the Ministry of Shipping.

 

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