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.