UPSC Daily Current Affairs | Prelim Bits 28-11-2024

Black thrips

The dreaded black thrips recently attacked the chilli crop-growing regions of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Haryana.

• It is an invasive pest species belonging to the order Thysanoptera.
• Scientific Name - Thrips parvispinus.
• It was 1^st reported in India in 2015 on papaya in Karnataka.
• Unique feature - Wings are long and narrow, with fringe-like edges.
• Size - Typically about 1–4 mm long.

• Feeds on – It is a polyphagous species and an invasive sucking pest infesting beans, eggplant, papaya, chilli, pepper, potato, shallot and strawberry.

Polyphagous species are those that feed on or utilize many different types of food.

• Found feeding on agriculture, horticulture and ornamental crops.
• Habitat - It is a cosmopolitan pest species which have been reported from Thailand, Australia and Europe.
• Distribution - France, Greece, Hawaii, Mauritius, Reunion, Spain, Tanzania, Netherlands, besides India and worldwide.
• It widely distributed across Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Odisha and Tamil Nadu.
• Nature of Damage - Adults mainly colonize on flowers and underside of leaves whereas larvae suck sap from undersurface of the leaves.
• It harm the crops indirectly by transmitting plant viruses.
• Its infestation increased during heavy rainfall of North East monsoon in contrast to other thrips species.
• The infestation is more in the black soil regions.
• It was reported in chilli growing areas of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Karnataka for the first time in Rabi 2021- 22.

• Preventive sprays - Use of bioagents and bio consortia to deal with the pest.

Crop Protection Business had reported that around 60-70% of the cropped area has been infested with black thrips in Ballari, Karnataka.

References

1. The Hindu Business| Black thrips
2. SABC| Black thrips

Sjögren’s Disease

Recently, the clinical immunologist offered an insight into the conditions prevalence and presentation of the Sjögren’s Disease.

• It is a chronic long-lasting autoimmune disorder.

Autoimmune diseases happen when the immune system mistakenly damages the body instead of protecting it.

• The immune system attacks the glands that make moisture such as your nose, throat, and skin.
• It also affect other parts of the body, including your joints, lungs, kidneys, blood vessels, digestive organs, and nerves.
• It is also known as Sjögren’s and Sjögren’s syndrome.
• Symptoms – It have cycles of mild and then severe symptoms.
• 2 main symptoms
  • Dry eyes - Burn or itch or feel like sand in the eyes, the dryness causes blurry vision or sensitivity to bright light, and get irritated, itchy eyelids due to inflammation.
  • Dry mouth - Feel chalky, have trouble swallowing, speaking, and tasting, and develop mouth infections such as candidiasis.
• Other symptoms – Fatigue, Joint pain, Dry skin, Dry nasal passages and throat, dry cough, Skin rashes, Muscle aches, Vaginal dryness.
• Causes – Its inflammation damages the glands, limiting their production of the fluids that normally keep the eyes and mouth moist.
• It also damages other organs and tissues and causing a range of other symptoms.
• Risk factors
  • Age - It is usually diagnosed in people older than 40.
  • Sex - It predominantly affects women.
  • Rheumatic disease - It's common for people who have this syndrome to also have a rheumatic disease such as rheumatoid arthritis or lupus.
• Treatment - There is no cure for this syndrome.
• It can be relieved depending on which parts of the body are affected.

References

1. The Hindu| Sjögren’s Disease
2. NIAMS| Sjögren’s Disease
3. Medlineplus| Sjögren’s Disease

Design Law Treaty (DLT)

India has recently signed the Final Act of the Riyadh Design Law Treaty almost two decades of extensive negotiations.

• Design Law Treaty (DLT) – To harmonize procedures and simplify registration processes of industrial designs in different countries.
• Adopted by - World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).
  • All 193 contracting parties of the WIPO have enforced the treaty.
• Goal - To ensure the streamlined design protection accessible to all stakeholders, with particular emphasis on
  • Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs),
  • Startups and
  • Independent designers.

• Features – It work towards implementing electronic industrial design systems and facilitating the electronic exchange of priority documents.

• Benefits – Its benefiting design applicants, including
  • Relaxed time limits,
  • Reinstatement of lost rights,
  • Option to correct or add priority claims,
  • Simplified procedures for recording assignments and licenses,
  • Option to file multiple designs in a single application.

• These changes provide greater flexibility for design applicants.
• It reduces administrative burdens, and promoting global creativity in design.
• It empower startups and SMEs by boosting their competitiveness and supporting market growth.

• India’s role – It reaffirms its commitment to fostering inclusive growth and ensuring equitable access to intellectual property protection.
• It combined with initiatives like the Startup India program and the Startups Intellectual Property Protection (SIPP) scheme.
• The policy integrates design protection with traditional knowledge and cultural expressions.

India has tripled the domestic filings increasing by 120% in the last 2 years and design applications grew by 25% last year.

References

1. PIB| Design Law Treaty (DLT)
2. WIPO| Design Law Treaty (DLT)

Red-Breasted Flycatcher

Recently, the Red-Breasted Flycatcher bird migrated from Eastern Europe to Ameenpur Lake in Hyderabad.

• Scientific name - Ficedula parva.
• Family – Muscicapidae.
• It is a small bird in the Old World flycatcher family.
• This is a scarce migrant from central and eastern Europe, that is commoner in autumn than spring.
• Size – It measures 12 cm.
• Appearance  
  • Males – Brownish on top, faces are bluish-grey, chin and throat are orangish, underparts are otherwise buffish white, and eye is dark and big, and has a pale ring around it.
  • Distinctiveness is the plumage of male that shows a clear patch of bright colour from the neck below.
  • Females - Brown overall on back and whitish overall underneath on the sides of breast and flushed with brownish buff.

• Unique Feature - Whitesides to their blackish tail and their tendency to frequently ‘cock’ it.
• Song - Its song is a series of bland and repetitive but sweet whistles, often with a few fuzzy notes.
• Call – It frequently calls while flicking its tail, possibly to defend winter territories from conspecifics. It is detected by a rattling sound like “trrrrr”.

• Distribution – A migratory bird escapes from the harsh winter and enjoys the moderate temperatures in South Asia.
• Found in peninsular India during the winter season from October to March.
• Diet – Feed mostly on invertebrates such as flies, beetles, ants and spiders.
• Breeding – West of Central Asia and winters largely in the Indian Subcontinent except in the northeastern part.
• Conservation Status
  • IUCN – Least Concern.
• Other Similar Species
  • Taiga Flycatcher.
  • Kashmir Flycatcher.

References

1. The Hindu| Red-Breasted Flycatcher
2. Bird Count India| Red-Breasted Flycatcher