www.shankariasacademy.

com 2
www.iasparliament.com

INDEX

2.4 Pullulan polymer ................................................ 8

1. SPACE............................................... 3
1.1 Project Mercury ................................................. 3
1.2 Kalam 100 .......................................................... 3
1.3 Closeby Habitable Exoplanet Survey (CHES) .... 4
1.4 Growing Plants in Moon’s soil ........................... 4
1.5 1989 JA ............................................................... 5
1.6 NASA announces early plan to send astronauts to
Mars 5
1.7 Solar power plant in space ................................. 5
2. HEALTH ............................................ 6
2.1 Rhinoplastry ....................................................... 6
2.2 Reversal of age related hearing loss .................. 7
2.3 Dostarlimab – A cure for Cancer ....................... 7
2.5 Painful, inflexible spine ...................................... 8
3. INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ........... 9
3.1 Targeted attacks on internet infrastructure ........ 9
3.2 3D Printed Gloves .............................................. 9
3.3 Robot janitors ................................................... 10
4. BIODIVERSITY ................................ 10
4.1 Planktons resilient to global warming .............. 10
4.2 Population of birds are declining ..................... 11
5. OTHERS.......................................... 12
5.1 Graphyne .......................................................... 12
5.2 International Dark Sky Week ............................ 12

CHENNAI | SALEM | MADURAI | COIMBATORE DELHI | BANGALORE | THIRUVANANTHAPURAM

www.shankariasacademy.com 3
www.iasparliament.com

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

MAY 2022

1. SPACE

1.1 Project Mercury

Project Mercury was the foundation for all space missions in the American program.
 Project Mercury was the NASA program that put the first American astronauts in space. Astronauts made a total
of six spaceflights during Project Mercury.
 Objective - Three goals of the project were
o operating a human spacecraft
o Investigating an astronaut's ability to work in space
o Recovering spacecraft and crew safely.
 Flights made - Two of those flights reached space and came right back down. These are called suborbital
flights.
 Other 4 went into orbit and circled Earth. The first flight was made in 1961 while the last one was made in 1963.
 The Mercury spacecraft was designed for this project. It was a small capsule with room for one astronaut.
 Two types of rockets were used for Project Mercury.
o Redstone rocket in suborbital flights.
o Atlas rocket in the orbital flights.
 Astronauts - NASA selected seven astronauts for Project Mercury in 1959. They are referred as Mercury Seven
/ the Original Seven.
 Alan Shepard made the first Mercury flight followed by Gus Grissom.
 Gordon Cooper flew on the last Mercury mission Atlas 9 but went on to become the first American to fly in space
for more than a day during this mission.
 He had clocked 34 hours and 20 minutes in space, orbiting the Earth 22 times and covering most of the globe
in the process.
 Experiments made - 11 experiments were conducted during the last mission. These included monitoring
radiation levels, tracking a strobe beacon that flashed intermittently, and taking photographs of the Earth.
 The first black-and-white TV images sent to control center was the first TV transmission from an American
crewed spacecraft.
 Cooper's success and the many overall positives of Project Mercury provided NASA the confidence to move on
to Project Gemini.
 Though the duo experienced problems with power systems, thruster fuel, venting gas they completed 122 orbits,
travelling over 5.3 million km in 190 hours and 56 minutes, before safely making their way back to Earth.

1.2 Kalam 100

Skyroot has successfully test fired Kalam-100’ the third stage of ‘Vikram-1’ rocket.
 Skyroot Aerospace is a national award winning Start-up Company. It is building India’s first private space
launch vehicle.
 It has successfully test fired third stage of ‘Vikram-1’ rocket is known as ‘Kalam-100’ for its full duration.
 It is named after former President and the renowned Indian rocket scientist A.P.J. Abdul Kalam.
 Kalam 100 produces a peak vacuum thrust of 100 kN (10Tons) and has a burn time of 108 sec.

CHENNAI | SALEM | MADURAI | COIMBATORE DELHI | BANGALORE | THIRUVANANTHAPURAM

www.shankariasacademy.com 4
www.iasparliament.com

 It is built using high-strength carbon fiber structure, solid fuel, novel thermal protection system, and carbon
ablative nozzle.
 It is a highly reliable stage with no moving parts.
 This largest rocket stage ever designed, manufactured, and tested completely in the private sector.
 The rocket’s stage was tested from the propellant processing and static testing facility of Solar Industries India
Ltd, a public listed company and one of the investors in Skyroot.

1.3 Closeby Habitable Exoplanet Survey (CHES)

Chinese scientists have proposed a space project to survey the sky through a space-borne telescope to hunt for
habitable Earth-like planets outside the solar system.
 CHES would be the first space mission to search for habitable terrestrial planets around nearby Sun-like stars.
 It will observe about 100 Sun-like stars 32 light-years away on a long-term survey
 Hopefully 50 Earth-like planets or super-Earths and planets that are up to about 10 times the mass of Earth will
be discovered.
 CHES will offer crucial clues about presence of other living beings in the universe.
 The exploration of habitable planets outside the solar system is one of the key frontiers of fundamental research
in astronomy.
 More than 5,000 exoplanets have been discovered and confirmed so far. This includes about 50 Earth-like
planets in the habitable zone. However most of them are hundreds of light-years away from Earth.
 The discovery of the nearby habitable worlds will be a great breakthrough for humankind
 It will also help humans visit those Earth twins and expand our living space in the future.

1.4 Growing Plants in Moon’s soil

Scientists have for the first time grown plants in lunar soil brought back by astronauts in the Apollo program.
 That's one small pot of soil, but a giant leap for man's knowledge of space agriculture.
 NASA brought back 12 grams of lunar regolith collected during the Apollo 11, Apollo 12, and Apollo 17 missions.
 Regolith, a region of loose unconsolidated rock and dust that sits atop a layer of bedrock.
 Lunar regolith differs greatly from Earth soil. It has sharp particles and lacks organic material.
 Researchers have planted seeds of a diminutive flowering weed called Arabidopsis thaliana (thale cress) in 12
small thimble-sized containers each bearing a gram of moon soil.
 Arabidopsis is used owing to its speedy life cycle and a deep understanding of its genetics.
 It was then placed in a laboratory at about 73 degrees Fahrenheit (23°C) under LED lights giving off a pink hue.
 The plants were fed with a nutrient solution every day.
 The seeds sprouted within three days. It was then left to grow for 20 days. Then its leaves were harvested to
assess gene activity.
 The sprouts on lunar regolith showed no outward differences at the early stages of growth.
 However the sprouts did less well than those grown on volcanic ash from Earth having similar mineral
composition and particle size as that of Lunar regolith.
 They had smaller leaves and deep reddish-black coloration indicating a unhealthy growth.
 The researchers showed that regolith that had longer exposure to cosmic rays and solar wind on the lunar
surface was less hospitable to growth.
 However the achievement open doors for growing food on moon for future explorations.
 It will also help to clean the air and recycle water the astronauts use in a way we do here on Earth.

CHENNAI | SALEM | MADURAI | COIMBATORE DELHI | BANGALORE | THIRUVANANTHAPURAM

www.shankariasacademy.com 5
www.iasparliament.com

1.5 1989 JA
A ‘potentially hazardous’ asteroid, twice the size of the Burj Khalifa and four times the Empire State Building will fly
past Earth on May 27.
 The Apollo asteroid is a term given to near earth asteroids that periodically cross the Earth’s orbit while
revolving around the sun.
 The asteroid named as 1989 JA was discovered in 1989 by astronomer Eleanor Helin at the Palomar Observatory
in Southern California.
 It makes its closest approach to Earth on May 27. It will be 4 million kilometres away, the closest it gets to the
planet for the next 172 years.
 It is not likely to impact the Earth. It has been labelled “potentially hazardous” as it can cause severe damage to
Earth if it changes its orbit.
 It is estimated to be 1.1 miles long, 2kms wide and is travelling at a speed of 30,000 mph.
 At this speed, the asteroid could travel around the planet Earth in 45 minutes.
 It is the biggest asteroid to closely flyby the Earth in 2022. Its next flight will likely occur not before June 23,
2055.

1.6 NASA announces early plan to send astronauts to Mars

NASA has announced its plan to send astronauts to Mars
 NASA aims to launch astronauts to the red planet Mars by the late 2030s or early 2040s.
 The space agency had released a draft set of high-level objectives earlier this year.
 It includes 50 points falling under four categories of
o exploration
o transportation and habitation
o Moon and Mars infrastructure
o operations and science.
 The mission is a challenging feat. With the right amount of funding and technology available the round-trip
journey between Earth and Mars will take more than 500 days.
 NASA will use a large spacecraft with hybrid rocket stage (powered by both chemical and electric propulsion).
 It should be like a habitat so that the four astronauts can have a safe, healthy and comfortable journey till they
reach the planet.
 Four astronauts will embark on the journey with two getting off on the surface of the moon.
 Before the crewed spaceflight, a robotic mission will deliver many essential supplies and hardware.
 These supplies will include a fuelled ascent vehicle that will help the astronauts get off the surface of Mars and
into the orbit of the planet.
 NASA is calling on industry, academia, international communities and other stakeholders to provide input on
its deep space exploration objectives.
 This will help NASA fine-tune the objectives and address the potential gaps in its architecture.
 This will help them align with industry and international partners for future collaboration.

1.7 Solar power plant in space

The UK Space Energy Initiative explores options to develop a space-based solar plant.
 The UK Space Energy Initiative is planning to build a solar power station in space.
 Over 50 British organisations including manufacturer Airbus, Cambridge University and satellite maker SSTL
have joined the UK Space Energy Initiative.

CHENNAI | SALEM | MADURAI | COIMBATORE DELHI | BANGALORE | THIRUVANANTHAPURAM

www.shankariasacademy.com 6
www.iasparliament.com

 It aims to help UK meet its zero greenhouse gas emissions target by 2050 more cost-effectively than existing
technologies.
 The technology required to develop the space-based solar power plant already exists but the challenge is the
scope and size of the project.
 The initiative is currently exploring a modular concept called CASSIOPeiA or Constant Aperture developed by
British engineering firm International Electric Company.
 ‘Modular’ here means that the orbiting power plant could be expanded after the demonstration phase.
 Demonstrator power plant - A 12-year development plan has been proposed to setup a demonstrator power
plant.
 This plant will be assembled by robots in orbit and will beam gigawatts of power to Earth as early as 2035.
 The demonstrator plant itself would be giant stretching several miles across.
 This requires atleast 300 rocket launches to deliver it to orbit. Once deployed, it would orbit 36,000 kilometres
with a constant view of the sun as well as of Earth.
 Advantages – Space based solar power plants will not face any ‘intermittency problems,’ because the sun will
always be shining on it in space.
 This eliminates the requirement of battery storage.
 It is expected to generate 13 times more energy than a solar power plant of a similar size on Earth.
 Rectenna - Direct current produced will then be converted into microwaves using a solid-state radio frequency
power amplifier and transmitted as a microwave beam down to Earth.
 To receive this energy from space, the system would need a giant Earth-based antenna, which is called the
rectenna.
 The rectenna receives the microwave radiation sent from space and converts it into electrical energy that can be
used for high-voltage transmission.
 The initiative claims that there is no risk to the public from this radiation.

2. HEALTH

2.1 Rhinoplastry
Sushruta Samahita regarded as the earliest true medical textbook has mentioned about Rhinoplasty.
 The nose is a defining feature of our appearance and identity.
 Surgery performed on the nose is called rhinoplasty or nose job.
 It is performed for various reasons like improvement of facial symmetry, functional improvements of airways,
cleft palate falls, cancers etc.
 India ranks fourth in the world in rhinoplasties performed annually.
 The first nasal reconstruction performed is mentioned in the Sushruta Samahita which dates back to 7th or 6th
century B.C. It was practiced on the banks of River Ganga. The collection of Sushruta’s writings is regarded as
the earliest true medical textbook.
 It was translated into the various languages like
o Arabic in the 8th century
o English by Kunja Lal Bhishagratna in 1907.
 There were no descriptions of rhinoplasty from Europe until the 13th century,
 The practice was unfamiliar to the British till 1816.
 The Procedure - Two sites were described for gathering the skin that would be reshaped into a new nose — the
cheek or the forehead.

CHENNAI | SALEM | MADURAI | COIMBATORE DELHI | BANGALORE | THIRUVANANTHAPURAM

www.shankariasacademy.com 7
www.iasparliament.com

 A leaf was used for approximate measurement of the missing nose.

 A segment of skin was then incised from the cheek (not detached). A short stalk or pedicle remained attached
to the face for unhindered blood circulation
 The scalpel was then deployed to make small raw wounds around the remaining nose stump.
 The incised cheek flap was stretched over, positioned and stitched to the face at these raw spots.
 The nose was shaped by positioning stalks from the castor oil plant
 A powdered mix of barberry, licorice and red sandalwood was used as an analgesic and antiseptic.
 The wounds were then covered with cotton, and sesame oil was constantly applied until the skins had fused.
 For antimicrobial action catechu was coated on the sites and a cloth soaked in ghee was used as cover for a few
days.
 Over time, no scars were visible, and the recipient could even sneeze and blow his nose without discomfort.
 Even today the method remains essentially unchanged. The outcome of nose jobs can be hit-or-miss. A
significant number patients are seeking a redo.
 So, skin grafting, transplanting skin from another part of the body (or from another person or animal) would
require advances in our understanding of the biology of tissue rejection and compatibility.

2.2 Reversal of age related hearing loss

The Northwestern Medicine scientists have discovered a single master gene that programmes ear hair cells to help
restore haring.
 Hearing loss due to aging, noise and certain cancer therapy drugs and antibiotics has been irreversible.
 The death of outer hair cells made by the cochlea are most often the cause of deafness and hearing loss. The cells
develop in the embryo and do not reproduce.
 The outer and inner hair cells have different functions essential to produce hearing.
 The outer hair cells expand and contract in response to the pressure of sound waves and amplify sound for the
inner hair cells. The inner cells transmit those vibrations to the neurons to create the sounds we hear.
 Scientists can produce an artificial hair cell. But they cannot reprogram and differentiate it into an inner or outer
cell. This makes hearing loss irreversible.
 The Northwestern Medicine scientists have now discovered a single master gene that programmes the ear hair
cells into either outer or inner ones. The discovery is a major step towards developing these specific cells.
 The master gene switch Northwestern scientists discovered that programmes the ear hair cells is TBX2.
 When the gene is expressed, the cell becomes an inner hair cell. When the gene is blocked, the cell becomes an
outer hair cell. The ability to produce one of these cells will require a gene cocktail.

2.3 Dostarlimab – A cure for Cancer

In a medical trial, 12 patients in the US were completely cured of rectal cancer without requiring any surgery or
chemotherapy.
 Statistics - Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide, accounting for nearly 10 million deaths in 2020, or
nearly one in six deaths, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
 In 2020, the most common cancers are breast (2.26 million cases), lung (2.21 million cases), colon and rectum
(1.93 million cases), and prostate cancers (1.41 million cases).
 Mismatch repair deficient cancers (dMMR) - Mismatch repair (MMR) deficient cells usually have many
DNA mutations, which may lead to cancer. The anomalies in the DNA result in cancerous growths.
 It is most common in colorectal cancer, gastrointestinal cancer, and endometrial cancers.
 So far the treatment included chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or surgery followed by immunotherapy.
 Results from new study - First time in history, a small clinical trial showed 100% eradication of dMMR
through immunotherapy alone. Chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or surgery may not be required.

CHENNAI | SALEM | MADURAI | COIMBATORE DELHI | BANGALORE | THIRUVANANTHAPURAM

www.shankariasacademy.com 8
www.iasparliament.com

 No cases of progression or recurrence had been reported during follow-up that ranged from six to 25 months.
 None of the participants reported significant severe side effects.
 By eliminating treatment methods like chemotherapy we can improve a patient’s quality of life by preserving
fertility, sexual health, and bladder and bowel functions.
 Dostarlimab - The trial used a monoclonal antibody called dostarlimab (TSR-042) for treating stage II or III
rectal cancer. The drug includes laboratory-produced molecules.
 Dostarlimab acts as substitute antibodies in the human body. The drug works by ramping up the body’s natural
immune system to fight cancer cells.
 The immunotherapy belongs to a category called PD1 blockades.
 PD1 is a type of protein that regulates the immune system. It suppresses the T cell.
 PD1 blockade therapy release these T cells to kill the cancer cells.
 An immunotherapy treatment can cost around Rs 4 lakh per month, with patients needing the treatment for six
months to a year.

2.4 Pullulan polymer

 The use of antibiotics to control bacterial infections is becoming less effective with the emergence of multi-drug
resistant pathogens.
 To overcome the issue scientists have developed a new biomaterial that can disinfect wounds and hastens the
process of healing.
 The biomaterial is derived from the polymer pullulan. It is basically a polymeric chain of glucose.
 It is an exopolysaccharide which is a polymer secreted by fungus into the medium in which it is growing. Pullulan
is secreted by the fungus Aureobasidium pullulans.
 Already pullulan is successfully and widely used in food, cosmetics and pharmaceutical industry because of its
non-toxic, non-mutagenic and non-immunogenic properties. It is also used in drug and gene delivery.
 By keeping the biocompatible carbohydrate which acts as the backbone of the polymer intact quaternary
ammonium groups are introduced into the polymer to make it positively charged.
 Then it is processed into a water soluble powder which can be applied on the wound. This can also be used in a
gel form.
 Hydrogels have an inherent ability to accelerate wound healing. It provides a closed and moist environment to
the wounds for easy exchange of oxygen. It also acts as absorbent pad to remove the pus and debris.
 Hence using a hydrogel-based wound dressings developed from this this biomaterial will be a best approach.

2.5 Painful, inflexible spine

 The vertebral column is important to the structure of your body, allowing you to stand erect, and to do yoga.
 It consists of 33 interlocked vertebrae and 364 joints which makes it flexible.
 Spondylitis - An inflammation of the bones in the spine is called spondylitis. Severe arthritic form of
spondylitis is called ankylosing spondylitis (AS).
 Ankylosing refers to new bone formation leading to the cementing together of a set of adjacent vertebrae, usually
in the lower back.
 It results in lower back pain that worsens when you sleep or rest. Other parts of the body like jaw, the ribcage,
heels may get hurt too.
 Spondylitis is different from spondylosis, which is the wearing away of the vertebral column.
 The immune system responds to this and sends out inflammatory cells to the problematic site. The pain goes
off when the wound is healed.
 An important component of immune system, the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) distinguishes proteins that
are part of your body from proteins that are from invasive organisms. It also distinguishes damaged or deformed
versions of your own normal proteins.

CHENNAI | SALEM | MADURAI | COIMBATORE DELHI | BANGALORE | THIRUVANANTHAPURAM

www.shankariasacademy.com 9
www.iasparliament.com

 Causes - Precise cause for AS is not known. It has a genetic component as it runs in to families.
 Some variants of the HLA gene (e.g., HLA-B27) are predisposed to AS and other conditions that cause chronic
inflammation of the joints of the spine.
 As a result these variant are not ‘manufactured’ correctly. This leads to a change in their shapes and contours
making them appear foreign to immune system.
 The immune system decides that this HLA variant has to be disposed off by any means possible, including the
destruction of cells that carry this protein.
 The consequences are disastrous. The immune system remains in the activated mode, even in the absence of
real danger. The result is chronic inflammation.
 Treatment - Pain-relieving drugs, immune system-modifiers and sometimes surgery are used to manage this
chronic affliction.
 Individual management strategies line exercise routines, using firm and flat pillows, and the avoidance of
‘trigger’ foods such as artificial sweeteners will aid the management.

3. INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

3.1 Targeted attacks on internet infrastructure

A study has found that a large number of internet users live in regions where attackers could just target one or a few
companies can cripple the entire nation's internet access.
 About a quarter of the world’s internet users live in countries with internet infrastructure that are more
susceptible to targeted attacks.
 The study was conducted by researchers at the University of California San Diego.
 The computer scientists surveyed a total of 75 countries. The study was presented at the Passive and Active
Measurement Conference 2022 held online.
 They studied the topology of the Internet to find weak links. The links if compromised, would expose an entire
nation’s traffic.
 The structure of the internet differ dramatically from country to country.
 In some places like the United States, a large number of internet service providers (ISPs) compete and offer
services to a large number of users.
 These ISPs have networks that are directly connected to one another and exchange content; a process called
direct peering.
 But a large portion of the Internet doesn’t function with peering agreements for network connectivity.
 In countries situated in the global south internet users rely on just a few ISPs for internet access.
 In some of countries like Cuba and Sierra Leone, one ISP serves a large majority of users.
 These providers often rely on a limited number of companies to get access to the global internet and internet
traffic from other countries.
 So, attackers would only need to target one or few of these companies, called transit autonomous systems, to
cripple an entire nation’s internet access.

3.2 3D Printed Gloves

Researchers at Indian Institute of Science (IISc.) have developed customisable, 3D printed gloves can be remotely
controlled, opening up the possibility of tele-consultation by physiotherapists.
 According to the researchers, stroke is India’s third leading cause of death, and the sixth leading cause of
disability.
 Physiotherapy is one of the few treatments available for rehabilitating stroke victims and patients with physical
injuries.

CHENNAI | SALEM | MADURAI | COIMBATORE DELHI | BANGALORE | THIRUVANANTHAPURAM

www.shankariasacademy.com 10
www.iasparliament.com

 However it can take days to months depending on the severity of the disability, making it challenging for patients
as well as their attendants.
 3D Printed Gloves - Aiming to help stroke victims, researchers in the Department of Physics at the Indian
Institute of Science (IISc.) have developed a soft, wearable device.
 It is made of a silicon-based polymer that is transparent (facilitating manipulation of light) and soft (for comfort
and repeated use).
 Woking principle - It uses fundamental properties of light like refraction and reflection to sense a patient’s
limb or finger movements.
 A light source is placed at one end of a transparent rubbery material, and the other end has a light detector.
 Any movement in the finger or arm of the patient causes the flexible material to deform.
 The deformation alters the path of light, and thereby its properties. The device translates this change in light
properties to a quantifiable unit.
 Since light travels across the entire length of the device, movement along any part of the patient’s finger or arm
can be accurately measured.
 Tele-consultation - These customisable 3D printed gloves captures the data and transmit it over the internet,
facilitating remote monitoring by clinicians or physiotherapists.
 The device is expected to cost less than ₹1,000 making it affordable for patients.

3.3 Robot janitors

 A challenge was posted by Bengaluru-based not-for-profit foundation AI & Robotics Technology Park
(ARTPARK) to demonstrate janitorial tasks that would be typically performed in a public washroom using
robots.
 Over 130 participated in challenge to build robot janitors.
 Janitorial tasks include vacuuming, mopping, sanitising restrooms, taking out trash, recycling, washing and
cleaning windows and mirrors.
 Robot of the top four teams — Cerberus, Gryffindors, Giga Robotics, and Robo Jyothians — demonstrated
janitorial tasks in a washroom.
 India may soon witness robot janitors in washrooms, if the initiatives carried out by ARTPARK find success.

4. BIODIVERSITY

4.1 Planktons resilient to global warming

A new study reveals, that that coccolithophores were more resilient to past climate change than was previously
thought.
 An international team of scientists has found a remarkable type of fossilisation that remained unnoticed until
now.
 The fossils are microscopic imprints, or ‘ghosts,’ of single-celled plankton, called coccolithophores, that lived in
the seas millions of years ago.
 Like any other type of phytoplankton, Coccolithophores are one-celled plant-like organisms that live in large
numbers throughout the upper layers of the ocean.
 They are visible from space as cloud-like blooms.
 After death, their calcareous exoskeletons sink to the seafloor, accumulating in vast numbers, and forming rocks
such as chalk.
 Subsequent deposits and water pressure have squashed the coccolith plates and other organic remains together.
 The hard coccoliths were pressed into the surfaces of pollen, spores, and other soft organic matter.

CHENNAI | SALEM | MADURAI | COIMBATORE DELHI | BANGALORE | THIRUVANANTHAPURAM

www.shankariasacademy.com 11
www.iasparliament.com

 Later, acidic waters within spaces in the rock dissolved away the coccoliths, leaving behind just their impressions
— the ghosts.
 Their discovery is changing our understanding of how plankton in the oceans are affected by climate change.
 Findings of new study - Declines in the abundance of coccolith fossils have been documented from multiple
past global warming events, suggesting that planktons were severely affected by climate change and ocean
acidification.
 However the new discovery reveals, that that coccolithophores were more resilient to past climate change than
was previously thought.
 The new global records of abundant ghost fossils were from three Jurassic and Cretaceous warming events.
 It suggests that nannoplankton were abundant, diverse, and thriving during past warming events in the Jurassic
and Cretaceous period.
 This belays the idea that plankton collapsed due to ocean acidification.

4.2 Population of birds are declining

The State of the World’s Birds, an annual review of environmental resources has been published by nine natural
sciences and avian specialists across the globe.
 The study draws from BirdLife International’s latest assessment of all birds for the International Union for
Conservation of Nature’s Red List.
 Key Findings -The report has revealed that nearly 48% of the 10,994 surviving species of birds is declining.
 About 4,295 or 39% of the species have stable trends
 About 7% or 778 species have increasing population trends.
 The trend of 37 species was unknown.
 Findings from IUCN – IUCN red list shows that 13.5% species are currently threatened with global
extinction. These include
o 798 species classified as vulnerable
o 460 as endangered
o 223 as critically endangered
o 52 species were considered to be data deficient.
 Other findings - About 73% species are estimated to have fewer than 10,000 mature individuals.
 40% have fewer than 2,500 mature individuals.
 About 5% have fewer than 50 mature individuals.
 Geographical variation of threats - The bird species are non-randomly threatened across the avian tree of
life.
 The richness of threatened species is disproportionately high among families such as parrots, pheasants and
allies, albatrosses and allies, rails, cranes, cracids, grebes, megapodes, and pigeons.
 The more threatened bird species (86.4%) are found in tropical than in temperate latitudes (31.7%)
 The hotspots for threatened species are concentrated in the tropical Andes, southeast Brazil, eastern Himalayas,
eastern Madagascar, and Southeast Asian islands.
 Threats involved - The study lists eight factors, topped by land cover and land-use change.
 The continued growth of human populations and per capita rates of consumption lead directly to conversion
and degradation of primary natural habitats and consequent loss of biodiversity.
 Although global tree cover increased between 1982 and 2016, including by 95,000 sq. km in the tropical dry
forest biome and by 84,000 sq. km in the tropical moist deciduous forest biome
 This has been driven by afforestation with plantations (often of non-native species) plus land abandonment in
parts of the global North, with net loss in the tropics.

CHENNAI | SALEM | MADURAI | COIMBATORE DELHI | BANGALORE | THIRUVANANTHAPURAM

www.shankariasacademy.com 12
www.iasparliament.com

 The other factors are habitat fragmentation and degradation, especially in the tropics.
 Hunting and trapping with 11 to 36 million birds estimated to be killed or taken illegally in the Mediterranean
region alone.
 The impact of invasive alien species and disease (971 alien bird species introduced accidentally or deliberately
to 230 countries over the centuries have affected the native species).
 Infrastructure, energy demands and pollution; agrochemical and pharmaceutical usage (pesticide ingestion kills
an estimated 2.7 million birds annually in Canada alone).
 Global trade teleconnections.
 Climate change.
 Importance of Birds to Ecosystem - Birds are a truly global taxon, with one or more species occupying all
habitats across the earth’s terrestrial surface including urban environments with no natural analogues.
 Birds contribute toward many ecosystem services that either directly or indirectly benefit humanity.
 These include provisioning, regulating, cultural, and supporting services.
 The functional role of birds within ecosystems as pollinators, seed-dispersers, ecosystem engineers, scavengers
and predators not only facilitate accrual and maintenance of biodiversity but also support human endeavours
such as sustainable agriculture via pest control besides aiding other animals to multiply.
 Emerging concepts of conservation social science can inform efforts to address biodiversity loss and to achieve
more effective and sustainable conservation outcomes, linking birds to human well-being, sustainability,
climate resilience, and environmental justice.

5. OTHERS

5.1 Graphyne
Researchers from the University of Colorado Boulder have successfully created an elusive allotrope of carbon.
 Graphyne is an allotrope of carbon.
 Carbon allotropes can be constructed in different ways. It depends on how hybrids of carbons and their
corresponding bonds are utilised.
 The most well-known such allotropes include graphite used in pencil and diamonds. They are created out of
‘sp2’ carbon and ‘sp3’ carbon respectively.
 Over the years scientists have created various such allotropes including fullerene and graphene.
 Researchers working on these materials were awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1996 and 2010
respectively.
 Now Scientists have create graphyne. It is a next generation wonder material because of its versatility and
usefulness in various industries.
 It is created out of ‘sp’ carbon and ‘sp2’ carbon. This gives them high conductivity and large carrier mobility.
 But the Conductivity in only one direction. This property could help researchers design faster transistors and
other electronic components that process one-way current.
 This fills a long-standing gap in carbon material science and opens up brand new possibilities for electronics,
optics and semiconductor research.
 A process called alkyne metathesis along with thermodynamics and kinetic control was used to create graphyne.

5.2 International Dark Sky Week

International Dark Sky Week is celebrated during the New Moon week across the world from April 22 to April 30.
 The International Dark Sky Week is an annual event hosted by the International Dark-Sky Association (IDA).
 The event aims to raise awareness about the negative impact of light pollution and celebrate the night sky.

CHENNAI | SALEM | MADURAI | COIMBATORE DELHI | BANGALORE | THIRUVANANTHAPURAM

www.shankariasacademy.com 13
www.iasparliament.com

 It provides a wonderful opportunity for people to discover value and beauty in the dark.
 Hundreds of events were conducted across the globe. Participants came together to learn astrophotography,
take night walks, and observe the night sky without light pollution and learn how it negatively impacts our
ecosystem.
 People connect with the night and learn about what is at stake if light pollution continues to increase.
 According to IDA, outdoor artificial lighting at night can disrupt wildlife, impact human health, waste money
and energy, contribute to climate change, and block views of the universe — when used indiscriminately.
 Light pollution is increasing at twice the rate of population growth and 83% of the world’s population lives under
the light-polluted sky, the organisation added.
 About IDA - The International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) is the recognized authority on light pollution and
is the leading organization combating light pollution worldwide.
 It aims to protect the night from light pollution.
 By providing leadership, tools, and resources for individuals, policymakers, and industry, IDA seeks to reduce
light pollution and promote responsible outdoor lighting that is beautiful, healthy, and functional.

CHENNAI | SALEM | MADURAI | COIMBATORE DELHI | BANGALORE | THIRUVANANTHAPURAM