About Gulf of Kutch:

• It is an inlet of the Arabian Sea.
• It is located along the west coast of India, in the Jamnagar district of Gujarat.
• It divides Kutch and the Kathiawar peninsula regions of Gujarat.
• It stretches for 99 miles and is famous for the coral reefs surrounding the 32 islands.
• A unique feature of this region is the tidal range, which generates fast currents of about 2.5 m per second.
• It is a region with the highest potential of tidal energy generation.
• It is rimmed with mudflats, and many small islands rise from its waters.
• The Gulf of Kutch, occupying an area of 7300 sq.km. is biologically one of the most productive and diversified habitats along the west coast of India.
• The southern shore has numerous islands and inlets which harbor vast areas of mangroves and coral reefs with living corals.
• The northern shore with numerous shoals and creeks also sustains large stretches of mangroves.
• The western extremity of the Gulf consists of a vast complex of marshland criss-crossed by innumerous creeks.
• Marine National Park is situated on the southern shore of the Gulf of Kutch. It is the 1st National Marine Park of India.

Key Facts about Dugong:

• Dugongs are the only herbivorous mammals found in India’s marine ecosystems.
• It is known as the sea cow but resembles a cross between a seal and a whale, and is distributed through the Indo-Pacific region.
• Distribution:
  • Dugongs range across 37 Indo-Pacific countries but have disappeared from many parts of their former range.
  • They are found along the Indian coastline, primarily inhabiting warm waters around the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, the Gulf of Mannar, Palk Bay, and the Gulf of Kutch.
• Habitat: Due to their dependence on seagrass beds for habitat and food, dugongs are restricted to shallow waters, where they spend the day feeding on seagrasses of the genera Cymodocea, Halophila, Thalassia, and Halodule.
• The dugong is a long-lived species, able to live up to 70 years.
• Conservation status:
  • IUCN Status: Vulnerable.

About Mount Lewotobi:

• It is a twin-peaked active volcano located on the tourist island of Flores in eastern Indonesia.
• It is situated along the famous ‘Ring of Fire’ in the Pacific region.
• It is one of the most frequently active volcanoes in the region.
• It has two peaks arranged on a NW-SE line separated by 2 km and a 1232 m high saddle. This gave the twin volcano its name, Lewotobi, “husband and wife”.
• The two peaks correspond to the Lewotobi Lakilaki (man) and Lewotobi Perempuan (woman) stratovolcanoes.
  • Lewotobi Lakilaki (1584 m) has a summit crater of 400 m diameter open to the north. Lewotobi Perampuan (1703 m)’s crater is 700 m wide.
  • Lewotobi Lakilaki has been frequently active during the 19th and 20th centuries, while the taller and broader Lewotobi Perempuan has erupted only twice in historical time.
• Small lava domes have grown during the 20th century in the summit craters of both volcanoes.

About South Atlantic Anomaly (SAA):

• It is a unique location on Earth where the magnetic field is weaker than normal.
• It is southeast of South America and southwest of Africa. In this area, the planet's magnetic field dips down.
• It was first identified in the 19th century.
• Why does it occur?
  • Earth’s magnetic field acts like a protective shield around the planet, repelling and trapping charged particles from the Sun.
  • SAA exists because the Earth’s inner Van Allen radiation belt comes closest to the planet’s surface, causing an increased flux of energetic particles.
  • This leads to the penetration of solar energetic particles deep into Earth’s atmosphere, posing severe problems for airplanes and ships’ positioning systems as well as spacecraft electronic systems.

What are the Van Allen Radiation Belts?

• The Van Allen radiation belt is a zone of energetic charged particles, most of which originate from the solar wind.
• The particles are captured by and held around a planet by that planet’s magnetic field.
• It surrounds Earth, containing a nearly impenetrable barrier that prevents the fastest, most energetic electrons from reaching Earth.
• The outer belt is made up of billions of high-energy particles that originate from the Sun and become trapped in Earth’s magnetic field, an area known as the magnetosphere.
• The inner belt results from interactions of cosmic rays with Earth’s atmosphere.
• The Van Allen belts are most intense over the Equator and are effectively absent above the poles.

About Gastroenteritis:

• Gastroenteritis is an inflammation of the lining of the stomach and intestines.
• It is usually not serious in healthy people, but it can sometimes lead to dehydration or cause severe symptoms.
• What causes gastroenteritis? There can be many different causes of gastroenteritis:
  • Viruses
  • Bacteria
  • Parasites
  • Chemicals
  • Reactions to certain medicines and food
• Viral gastroenteritis is the most common type. It can be caused by many different viruses, including noroviruses and rotaviruses.
• When gastroenteritis is caused by consuming foods or drinks contaminated with viruses, bacteria, parasites, or chemicals, this is called food poisoning.
• The viruses, bacteria, and parasites that cause gastroenteritis can also spread from person to person.
• The symptoms of gastroenteritis include:
  • Diarrhea
  • Pain or cramping in your abdomen (belly)
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Sometimes fever
• Treatment:
  • Usually, people with gastroenteritis get better on their own, with rest and plenty of fluids and electrolytes.
  • Your provider may suggest that you take a probiotic.
  • Studies suggest that some probiotics may help shorten a case of diarrhea.
  • People with more severe symptoms may need medicines to control nausea or vomiting.
  • Providers may also give other medicines for certain types of gastroenteritis, such as antibiotics for some bacterial types and antiparasitic medicines for some parasitic types.

About Kolam Tribe:

• Kolam tribes, also known as Kolamboli, Kulme and Kolmi, occupy a major portion of Madhya Pradesh.
• These tribal groups are reckoned as scheduled tribes and apart from Madhya Pradesh they reside in some parts of Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh.
• They are listed as Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG).
• History:
  • Around the twelfth century, the Kolam served as priests for the Gond, representing some of their important gods.
  • It is generally accepted that the Kolam descended from the original population in the area.
  • Since they now live near the Gond, they have adopted much of the Gond lifestyle. 
• Society and Tradition of Kolam Tribe:
  • The Kolam people are divided into different clans, like Chal Deve, Pach Deve, Saha Deve, and Sat Deve.
  • Marriages between the same clans are not permissible.
  • The Kolams use the name of their clans as their surnames.
  • Their society is patrilineal, meaning that the line of descent is traced through the males.
• Occupation: The Kolam are mainly farmers and forest workers. In times past, they used shifting cultivation on the hill slopes.
• Language: They speak a Dravidian language called Kolami, and nearly all of the adults also speak Marathi, Telugu, or Gondi.
• The Kolam people celebrate different rituals that include Matya or Churaghali, Bai-Baki, Sati, Jaitur Pooja, Waghai Pooja etc.

About International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV):

• UPOV is an intergovernmental organization established in 1961 to provide an effective system of plant variety protection.
• It administers the UPOV Convention, which provides a legal framework for plant variety protection implemented by its members.
• Purpose: Under this framework, breeders of new plant varieties are granted an intellectual property right known as the breeder’s right, which incentivizes innovation in plant breeding.
• The UPOV Convention entered into force in 1968 and was revised in 1972, 1978 and 1991, each time strengthening plant breeders’ rights.
• Governance of International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV):
  • The UPOV member countries hold annual meetings of the UPOV Council, a permanent body under the UPOV Convention.
  • Other UPOV bodies include the Consultative Committee, the Administrative and Legal Committee, and the Technical Committee.
• Member countries: 80 members have become member of UPOV. (India is not a member of this organization)
• Headquarter: Geneva (Switzerland).