20 February 2024

• Environment: CMS COP14 concluded in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. 14 species added to CMS Appendices; India designated as base for Central Asian Flyway coordination.
• Culture: Jnanpith Award 2023 announced for lyricist Gulzar and Sanskrit scholar Swami Rambhadracharya.
• History: A statue of Khasi freedom fighter U Tirot Sing was unveiled in Dhaka.
• Science: NASA's SOFIA observatory detected water molecules on the surface of two asteroids for the first time.

GS area: Environment (International Conventions, Migratory Species)

The 14th Conference of Parties to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species (CMS COP14) concluded in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, after meeting from 12 to 17 February 2024.

• CMS basics: 133 member states. Signed in Bonn in 1979; in force since 1983. Headquarters in Bonn, Germany. Also called the Bonn Convention.
• Species added: 14 species were added to CMS Appendices. Appendix I lists species threatened with extinction where trade is prohibited. Appendix II lists species with unfavourable conservation status that would benefit from international cooperation.
• Samarkand Strategic Plan 2024-2032: The new eight-year strategic framework for CMS Parties, replacing the previous plan. Focuses on halting and reversing migratory species decline by 2032.
• Light pollution guidelines: CMS adopted global guidelines on minimising light pollution impacts on migratory species. Artificial night lighting disrupts migration of birds, sea turtles, and insects.
• India's specific role: India was designated as the base for the Central Asian Flyway (CAF) coordination unit. The CAF spans 30 countries from the Arctic to the Indian Ocean and covers 279 species.
• India's biodiversity context: India hosts approximately 8 per cent of global biodiversity while covering only 2.4 per cent of Earth's land area.

Static linkage: Environment (CMS, Bonn Convention, migratory flyways, India's biodiversity, light pollution).

GS area: Art and Culture (Literary Awards)

The 59th Jnanpith Award for 2023 was announced for two recipients:

• Gulzar (Sampooran Singh Kalra): Poet, lyricist, and filmmaker. Known for lyrics in Hindi cinema. Earlier received the Padma Bhushan (2004), Sahitya Akademi Award (2002), and Academy Award (Oscar) for Best Original Song for "Jai Ho" from Slumdog Millionaire.
• Swami Rambhadracharya: Sanskrit scholar, poet, educator, and spiritual leader. Founder of Jagadguru Rambhadracharya Handicapped University in Chitrakoot, Uttar Pradesh, the only university in India specifically for disabled students.

The Jnanpith Award is India's highest literary honour:

• Established: 1961, by the Bharatiya Jnanpith (a cultural and literary organisation based in Delhi).
• Eligibility: Writers in any of the 22 scheduled languages of the Constitution. Also now open to Sanskrit and English.
• Criteria: Exceptional literary contribution.

Static linkage: Culture (literary awards, Indian languages, Jnanpith).

GS area: History (Modern India, Tribal History, Anti-Colonial Resistance)

A statue of U Tirot Sing, the Khasi chief and freedom fighter, was unveiled at the Indira Gandhi Cultural Centre in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

• U Tirot Sing: A chief of the Nongkhlaw Khasi chiefdom in what is now Meghalaya. He led armed resistance against British forces in 1829-1833 during the Anglo-Khasi War, after the British violated an agreement to leave the Khasi Hills.
• Significance: He is revered as the "Hero of the Khasi Hills" and one of the earliest leaders of armed anti-colonial resistance in Northeast India. He was captured and died as a political prisoner in Dhaka in 1835.
• Khasi people: Inhabit the Khasi Hills in Meghalaya. The Khasi language belongs to the Austroasiatic language family. Khasi society is matrilineal.
• India-Bangladesh cultural diplomacy: The unveiling of the statue in Dhaka reflects cultural linkages rooted in the shared history of the region before Partition.

Static linkage: History (tribal resistance, Northeast India, British colonialism), Culture (Khasi people, matrilineal societies).

GS area: Science and Technology (Space, Astrobiology)

Researchers using data from NASA's Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) detected water molecules on the surface of two main-belt asteroids, Iris and Massalia, for the first time.

• Method: SOFIA used its FORCAST (Faint Object InfraRed Camera for the SOFIA Telescope) instrument to detect the spectral signature of water molecules (distinct from the signature of hydroxyl, OH, which was previously found on asteroids).
• SOFIA: A modified Boeing 747 aircraft carrying a 2.7-metre infrared telescope. SOFIA operated at altitudes of 12 to 14 km above most of Earth's atmospheric water vapour. The programme was retired in 2022 after this data was collected.
• Iris and Massalia: S-type (silicaceous) asteroids in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. S-type asteroids are rocky, unlike the C-type (carbonaceous) asteroids that are rich in organics.
• Significance: Finding water on S-type asteroids (previously not expected to hold much water) suggests that water distribution in the inner solar system is broader than modelled. This has implications for theories of how Earth's water arrived.

Static linkage: Science and Technology (solar system science, water in space, asteroid science, SOFIA).

GS area: Art and Culture (Tribal Festivals, Religious Heritage)

Paruveta Utsavam is an annual festival at the Sri Narasimha Swamy temple in Ahobilam, Andhra Pradesh.

• Significance: The festival commemorates Lord Narasimha's marriage to Chenchulakshmi, a woman from the Chenchu tribal community. The ritual involves tribal participants shooting arrows at the deity's palanquin in a symbolic re-enactment.
• Unique feature: The festival demonstrates the integration of tribal and Brahminical religious traditions without caste discrimination, as the Chenchu community plays a central, honoured role.
• Ahobilam: A temple complex of nine Narasimha shrines (Nava Narasimha Kshetras) in Nandyal District, Andhra Pradesh, in the Nallamala Hills.
• Chenchu people: A Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) found in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Hunter-gatherers associated with the Nallamala forests.
• UNESCO recognition: A proposal for UNESCO intangible cultural heritage recognition was being pursued.

Static linkage: Culture (tribal traditions, folk festivals, Andhra Pradesh, temple heritage).

GS area: Science and Technology (Food Safety)

Rhodamine-B, a toxic industrial dye, was found in cotton candy samples in Chennai, triggering enforcement action.

• Rhodamine-B: A synthetic dye used in textiles, printing, and laboratories. It is not approved for use in food in India or most countries.
• Health hazards: Known carcinogen; causes respiratory distress, organ damage, and skin irritation. Classified as a potential human carcinogen.
• Regulatory framework: The Food Safety and Standards Act 2006 prohibits the use of non-approved food additives. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) sets standards and FSSAI officers have powers to test, seize, and prosecute.
• Why used illegally: Rhodamine-B gives foods a bright pink-red colour cheaply. Cotton candy (candy floss) is a common target.

Static linkage: Science and Technology (food safety, FSSAI, food adulterants), Governance (Food Safety and Standards Act 2006).