Hoysala

• Hoysala dynasty, family that ruled in India from about 1006 to about 1346 ce in the southern Deccan and for a time in the Kaveri (Cauvery) River valley.
• The first kings came from the hills northwest of Dorasamudra (present-day Halebid), which became their capital about 1060.
• Vishnuvardhana won much territory from the tough Kadambas of Hangal, but his weak son Narasimha I lost much of it.
• The Hoysalas in Karnataka had almost been destroyed by the military expeditions of the Delhi Sultanate in the first 3 decades of the 14th century.
• In 1310 the Hoysala ruler Vira Ballala III surrendered all his treasures to the Delhi forces.
• The Vijayanagar dynasty succeeded the Hoysalas.
• Harihara and Bukka, the eldest sons of one Sangama, earlier serving the Hoysala rulers of Karnataka, asserted their independence and laid foundation for a new kingdom in about 1336.
• The vesara style of Architecture reached its culmination only under the Rashtrakutas and the Hoysalas.

Methane Emissions

• Methane (CH4), the primary component of natural gas, is responsible for approximately a third of the warming we are experiencing today (IPCC).
• Sources of Methane – Methane does sometimes come from non-human sources like wetlands.
• These habitats contain things like permafrost, which is frozen ground that’s also filled with carbon from animals and plants that have been dead for hundreds of thousands of years.
• As temperatures rise with global warming, wetland permafrost thaws and it unleashes carbon, previously locked in the ice, in the form of CO2 and methane.
• Around 60% of the methane that makes it into the atmosphere comes from human activities.
• This source of methane is from agriculture like cows’ burps and farts and manure fertilizer and also from decomposing waste in landfills and the energy sector.
• Most energy consumed by humans comes from burning fossil fuels like coal, oil and gas.
• Oil and gas are responsible for most energy sector methane emissions.
• The greenhouse gas pours out when companies produce, transport and store these fossil fuels.
• Unintentional emission of Methane – It often escapes into the atmosphere when the equipment is rusty or damaged or even has something as simple as a loose screw.
• Gas flaring is the burning of the natural gas associated with oil extraction.
• Flaring turns methane into CO2 that then goes into the atmosphere, but raw methane can still escape during the process.
• Flaring can only happen if it’s not technically possible to reinject the natural gas into the ground on-site or transport it somewhere else.
• Venting is direct release of small amounts of natural gas into the atmosphere.
• Venting is only allowed if there is a safety emergency.
• Venting and Gas flaring are sources of methane emitted unintentionally. 
• Operators flare and vent because it can be expensive to process and transport the relatively small amount of gas that comes out of the ground during oil extraction
• Ways to reduce emissions – According to the International Energy Agency, Oil and gas companies could slash their methane emissions by 75% if they spotted and fixed leaks.
• Venting is only allowed if there is a safety emergency.
• Methane Alert and Response System (MARS) – Is the first global satellite detection and notification system providing actionable data on very large methane emissions around the world.
• It is an initiative of United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

Baobabs

• Baobab (genus Adansonia) is genus of 9 species of deciduous trees of the hibiscus or mallow, family (Malvaceae).
• Six of the species are endemic to Madagascar, two are native to mainland Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, and one is native to north-western Australia.
• They have unusual barrel-like trunks and are known for their extraordinary longevity and ethnobotanical importance.
• These trees can live for thousands of years, with some specimens reaching 2,500 years old.
• Baobabs have survived erratic climate conditions throughout their long lifespans, including droughts and floods.
• Your observations suggest that most baobab populations in Africa are healthy and stable, with very low mortality rates among adult trees.
• Baobabs provide numerous resources, including food, fiber, and medicine.
• They also support local economies through the baobab fruit trade.
• Zimbabwe alone is estimated to have up to 4 million baobab trees.
• Threats – The main threat to adult baobabs is elephants, which can cause significant damage when their populations are too high.
• Young baobabs face browsing pressure from domestic animals and wildlife.
• Excess water, particularly during leafless periods, can be more dangerous than drought.
• Resilience to climate change: Unlike many other species, baobabs appear well-adapted to changes in temperature and rainfall, as evidenced by their wide geographic distribution and extreme longevity.

Cyber Smart Heroes Programme

• Cyber Smart Heroes Programme is a Volunteer-driven program to educate school children about cyber safety Ran for 9 months, reaching 58,838 school-goers from 12 states.
• It is a pan-India initiative by CRY (Child Rights and You).
• Key Objectives – To help children understand nuances, opportunities, and risks of online platforms.
• Make children 'digital-ready' to navigate cyberspace safely.
• Need for the program – Recently NCRB report highlighted that 1,823 cases of children as cybercrime victims in 2022 (32% increase from 2021).
• CRY and CNLU study – 33.2% of parents reported children encountering online risks.
• Impact of the Program – 20% increase in children recognizing cybercrime and cyberbullying.
• 12% increase in children identifying strong passwords and 13% increase in children identifying cyber harassment.
• Implementation – Covered 274 schools across 12 states and involved over 1,200 trained CRY volunteers.
• Collaboration with Nyaaya, SIMHA, and Cyber Security Centre of Excellence.
• Methodology used – Interactive sessions with animated videos and smart modules.
• Pre- and post-program assessments to measure impact.
• Significance – Addresses growing concerns about online child safety.
• Demonstrates the effectiveness of collaborative, volunteer-driven initiatives in education.

National Glacial Lake Outburst Floods Risk Mitigation Programme (NGRMP)

The NGRMP was recently approved by the Union government for risk mitigation, including monitoring and early warning systems.

• National Glacial Lake Outburst Floods Risk Mitigation Programme (NGRMP) aims to monitor and mitigate risks from glacial lakes in the Himalayas.
• The programme is to be implemented by the National Disaster Management Authority (NMDA) in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh.
• 189 "high-risk" glacial lakes identified for mitigation measures and nearly 7,500 glacial lakes in the Himalayan Mountain ranges in India.
• 902 glacial lakes and water bodies currently monitored via satellite by Central Water Commission (CWC).
• Proposed Measures – To constitute teams to investigate high-risk lakes.
• Attempt "lake-lowering measures" to buffer against overflow.
• Mitigate potential damage in downstream States.
• Conduct detailed technical hazard assessments and install automated weather and water level monitoring stations (AWWS).
• Set up early warning systems (EWS) at lakes and in downstream areas.
• Challenges – Lakes located in inhospitable terrain.
• Limited access window (July to September) for expeditions.
• Multiple visits often necessary for implementing lake-lowering measures.