03.02.22 Daily [Andhra Pradesh] APPSC Current Affairs

Andhra Pradesh State Forest Department is trying to prevent mass mortality of spot-billed pelicans in the Naupada swamp in Telineelapuram, Srikakulam district.

Highlights:

The Wildlife Institute of India (WII-Deharadun), the Bombay Natural HISTORY Society (BNHS), and the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI-Kolkata) have been contacted by the Andhra Pradesh State Forest Department to help prevent mass mortality of spot-billed pelicans.

The spot-billed pelicans are found in the Naupada swamp in Telineelapuram, Srikakulam district.

Since December 2021, pelicans have been dying due to a ‘Nematode infestation’ in Telineelapuram, a recognized Important Bird Area (IBA). It’s also where you’ll see painted storks.

On the other hand, Stork has not yet been affected by a Nematode infestation. At Telineelapuram, at least five spot-billed pelicans die every day on Average.

The mortality toll has surpassed 160, with 180 additional adult species and their babies surviving. By the middle of the summer, they should be back at Home.

Pelecanus philippensis is the scientific name for spot-billed pelicans, also known as grey.

They belong to the pelican family. From southern Iran to east India and Indonesia, the species breeds.

Mainly lakes, you can find the bird in coastal seas and vast interior bodies of water, mainly lakes.

These species’ breeding populations are restricted to India, Cambodia, and Sri Lanka. They have been seen in Myanmar, Nepal, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam during the non-breeding season.

The species is classed as Near Threatened on the Red List. It is a Schedule IV species under the Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972.

Hunting is thus forbidden, but the penalty for any transgression is less severe.

The “Federated Digital Identities” was introduced by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. Its goal is to connect Indian residents’ many identities.

Highlights:

The residents’ state and central identities will be consolidated under one new federal digital identity.

Citizens can use this ID to access Services provided by third parties. This will eliminate the need for the verification process to be repeated.

It is critical to discover the citizens’ alternative identities. Students, farmers, entrepreneurs, professors, pharmacists, doctors, pensioners, vehicle owners, and others are affected.

The importance of this identity in framing policies and weighing capacities cannot be overstated.

The Federal Digital IDs’ primary goal is to reduce the number of identities a citizen possesses. It connects the electronic registries and enables easy data verification without paper.

The proposed Framework for Higher Education Qualification was recently presented by the (UGC). It is a component of the 2020 National Education Policy.

Highlights:

This new framework will apply to all higher education institutions in the country. The new framework will Facilitate transparency; create a globe-level framework and address the increasing size of the higher education system needs.

It will not promote a unified curriculum or syllabus for all students in higher education. Rather, the framework will ensure that all of the country’s educational systems provide high-quality education.

It will serve as a performance benchmark for the country’s higher education system.

In the Chinese Zodiac, The year 2022 is the year of Tiger Tigers are fiercely competitive

creatures.

Highlights:

Their courage and objectives are well-known. The Tiger year is all about tremendous changes, both within ourselves and in the world around us. The tiger years are marked by an upsurge in overall enthusiasm.

Shuxiang is based on the Luni-Solar calendar, which has a strong connection to Chinese Philosophy.

Heaven, earth, and water are the three harmonies in this theory.

Yin and Yang principles.

Water, wood, fire, earth, and Metal are the five phases of the elemental flow in Wuxing.

Wuxing’s Yin and Yang attributes are represented by the ten Heavenly Stems.

The twelve Chinese animal signs are represented by the Twelve Earthly Branches.

NASA’s HERMES project received a crucial mission review on 27 January.

Highlights:

The HERMES mission will consist of a four-instrument suite installed outside NASA’s Moon-orbiting Gateway.

The study, dubbed Key Decision Point C, assessed the mission’s preliminary design and program plan in order to meet the mission’s planned launch readiness date of November 2024.

Following the successful evaluation, the project will proceed to Phase C, which will comprise the HERMES mission’s final design.

The HERMES project will be crucial to the Artemis mission and NASA’s ambitions of establishing a permanent presence on the Moon.

“HERMES” is the acronym for “Heliophysics Environmental and Radiation Measurement Experiment Suite.”

It will be installed outside the NASA Gateway outpost’s “Habitation and Outpost module.”

According to the Department of Economic Affairs’ latest Economic Survey, India ranks third in the world in regards to forest gain area.

Highlights:

Between 2010 and 2020, India added 2,66,000 hectares of forest each year. Forest covers 24% of India’s entire geographical area.

India’s forests make up 2% of the world’s total forest area. Brazil, Congo, Peru, and Russia are the countries with the most forest, according to the survey. Brazil’s forest covers 59 percent of the country’s entire land area.

Peru has 57 percent, Congo has 56 percent, and Russia has 50 percent. Around ten countries were responsible for 66% of the world’s forests.

The state with the most forest cover was Madhya Pradesh. The state accounts for 11% of India’s total forest cover. Arunachal Pradesh came in second.

The state’s forest cover accounts for 9% of the country’s total. Chhattisgarh has 8%, Odisha has 7%, and Maharashtra has 7%.