Revision Notes or Short Notes
Havana Syndrome
What is Havana Syndrome?
- Set of mental health symptoms experienced by US officials abroad.
- First reported in Havana, Cuba (2016) by diplomats experiencing:
- Hearing piercing sounds at night.
- Other symptoms: bloody noses, headaches, vision problems.
- Similar cases reported in China, Europe, with possible earlier cases in Germany (2014).
Possible Causes:
- Initial suspicion: “sonic attack” by Cuba (US-Cuba hostility).
- Later theories: high-powered microwaves targeting nervous system.
- Microwave weapons research documented during the Cold War.
Affected Areas:
- Over 130 cases reported by US officials globally:
- Russia, Poland, Georgia, Taiwan, Colombia, Central Asia, Austria.
- First case in India (2021): US intelligence officer with CIA Director Burns.
Recent Investigation
- Year-long investigation suggests link to Russia’s GRU Unit 29155:
- Unit responsible for foreign operations (e.g., Skripal poisoning, 2018).
- Allegedly used “directed energy weapons” causing Havana Syndrome.
Russia’s Response
- Denies allegations, calls them “groundless” and “unfounded accusations.”
- No conclusive evidence publicly available.
Ozone Detected on Jupiter’s Moon Callisto
Study Findings
- Researchers discovered evidence of ozone on Jupiter’s moon Callisto.
- Studied the chemical evolution of “SO2 astrochemical ice” (ice rich in sulfur dioxide) under ultraviolet irradiation.
- Analyzed UV absorption spectra of irradiated ice samples, identifying a signature of ozone formation.
- Callisto’s stable surface may preserve potential subsurface oceans or habitats.
Callisto: A Unique Environment
- Jupiter’s largest moon (third-largest in the solar system).
- Primarily composed of water ice, rock, sulfur dioxide, and organic compounds.
- Heavily cratered surface suggests a long history of impacts.
- Considered a potential candidate for extraterrestrial life due to its composition.
Significance of the Study
- Ozone presence suggests oxygen, a building block for complex molecules like amino acids, essential for life.
- Raises questions about Callisto’s habitability and potential life elsewhere in the solar system.
Importance of Ozone
- Ozone molecule (3 oxygen atoms) acts as a shield in Earth’s stratosphere (15-35 km above ground).
- Protects Earth from harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation, especially UV-B and UV-C.
- UV radiation can damage DNA, increase skin cancer risk, and harm ecosystems.
Conclusion
- This discovery adds Callisto to the list of celestial bodies with potential for life due to the presence of ozone and stable conditions.
Swell Waves (Kallakkadal)
- Local Term:Kallakkadal (accepted by UNESCO in 2012)
- Description:Freaky flooding episodes caused by distant storm-generated waves.
- Formation:
- Ocean waves outrun the storm that created them.
- Travel long distances, lengthening and reducing in height.
- Organize into smooth, regular groups.
- Travel thousands of miles with minimal change in height or period.
- Longer waves travel faster.
Status of Leopards in India 2022
Survey & Background
- Conducted by National Tiger Conservation Authority & Wildlife Institute of India.
- 5th cycle of leopard population estimation.
- Covered 20 states and 70% of leopard habitat.
Key Findings
- Overall Increase:India’s leopard population rose 8% to 13,874 in 2022 (from 12,852 in 2018).
- Regional Variations:
- Central India & Eastern Ghats: Stable/slightly growing population (8,820 in 2022).
- Shivalik Hills & Gangetic Plains: Decline at 3.4% per year (1,109 in 2022).
- State-wise Distribution:
- Madhya Pradesh has the highest number (3,907).
- Declines reported in Odisha, Uttarakhand, Kerala, and others.
- Protected Areas:
- 65% of leopards reside outside protected areas (Shivalik landscape).
- Leopard densities are higher inside Tiger Reserves despite competition with tigers.
Threats
- Poaching of prey (bushmeat) and leopards themselves.
- Habitat loss due to mining and human activities.
- Road accidents.
Additional Notes
- Odisha reported 59 leopard skin seizures (2018-2023).
Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) Initiative (20 Years)
- Launched:April 1, 2004 (Free ART for People Living with HIV – PLHIV)
- Purpose:Treat HIV infection by suppressing virus replication with a combination of drugs (HAART).
- Rationale:Address early fear, stigma, and limited access to expensive treatments.
- Impact:
- Reduced HIV prevalence in 15-49 year olds to 0.20% (2023).
- Lowered India’s PLHIV share globally to 6.3% (from 10% in 2004).
- Decreased annual new HIV infections in India by 48% (vs global 31%).
Other Related Initiatives for HIV Control
- Free diagnostic facilities.
- Prevention of parent-to-child transmission (PPTCT) services.
- Introduction of Dolutegravir (DTG) – a new, effective drug with minimal side effects (2020).
- Rapid ART initiation policy (2021): Starting ART within 7 days (or same day) of diagnosis.
- National AIDS Control Programme (NACP) Phase 5 Goals (by 2025):
- Reduce annual new HIV infections by 80%.
- Reduce AIDS-related mortalities by 80%.
- Eliminate vertical transmission of HIV and syphilis.
SCORES 2.0 (Securities and Exchange Board of India)
- Upgraded Version of SCORES (SEBI Complaint Redressal System):Launched June 2011 (online platform for investor complaints).
- Improvements in SCORES 2.0:
- Auto-routing and escalation of complaints.
- Monitoring by designated bodies.
- Reduced complaint resolution timelines.
- Two-level review process:
- First review by designated body.
- Second review by SEBI (if unsatisfied with first review).
About SEBI (Securities and Exchange Board of India)
- Established:April 12, 1992 (Securities and Exchange Board of India Act, 1992).
- Function:Protect investor interests in the securities market.
- Powers:Quasi-legislative and quasi-judicial.
- Draft regulations.
- Conduct inquiries.
- Pass rulings.
- Impose penalties.
- Regulatory Reach Expanded (2014):
- Regulate money pooling schemes worth Rs. 100 crore or more.
- Attach assets in cases of non-compliance.
Cyber Slavery
- Definition:Exploitation of individuals through digital means for forced labor or human trafficking.
- Characteristics:
- Coercion, manipulation, or deception of victims.
- Performing tasks against their will for someone else’s benefit.
- Organized crime with high severity and scale.
Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT)
- Introduced:2014 Lok Sabha elections.
- Function:Ballot-less vote verification system connected to Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).
- Process:
- Voter casts vote on EVM.
- VVPAT generates paper slip with voted party’s name and symbol.
- Voter verifies slip through transparent window.
- Slip is deposited in a sealed box within the machine.
- Purpose:Increase public confidence in EVMs by providing a physical record of votes.
Supreme Court Ban on Unregulated Soil Extraction
- Context:Recent court ruling against unregulated soil extraction for linear projects (roads, pipelines).
- Controversial Exemption:
- March 2020 notification exempted “ordinary earth” extraction from environmental clearance (EC).
- Challenged by National Green Tribunal (NGT) due to lack of public consultation.
- Supreme Court’s Decision:
- Struck down the exemption as “blanket,” “arbitrary,” and issued in haste.
- Requires all earth extraction for linear projects to obtain EC, minimizing environmental harm.
National Green Tribunal (NGT)
- Establishment:2010 (National Green Tribunal Act).
- Purpose:Adjudicate environmental cases in India.
- Powers:
- Suo motu powers to take up environmental issues.
- Not bound by Civil Procedure Code (1908) but by natural justice principles.
- Binding orders with power to grant compensation and damages.
- Review its own decisions (appealable to Supreme Court within 90 days).
Kodaikanal Solar Observatory (125 Years)
- Location:Palani Hills, Tamil Nadu, India.
- Significance:Observing the Sun for over a century, providing long-term solar data.
- Key Achievements:
- Discovery of helium (second-most abundant element) during 1868 solar eclipse observations.
- Daily collection of full-disc spectral images of the Sun (Ca II K and H-alpha lines) for over 100 years.
- Massive digital repository with 1.48 lakh digitized solar images (10 terabytes).
- Contribution to understanding solar magnetic field evolution and its impact on climate and space weather.
- Link to Great Drought (1875-1877):Studied possible solar activity role in the devastating drought.