1) Great Indian Bustard (GIB): It is one of the largest flying birds in the world, and India’s heaviest flying bird. It is the State bird of Rajasthan.
- Rajasthan accounts for 95% of its total world population. They are mainly in Jaisalmer district of Rajasthan, including the Desert National Park.
- Grasslands of Kutch in Gujarat which is home to second-largest bustard population in India.
- Listed in: Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife (Protection)Act, Appendix I of CITES, Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List.
- They feed on grass seeds, insects like grasshoppers and beetles, and sometimes even small rodents and reptiles.
2) Zombie Virus: the term is used for those viruses, which have been dormant for thousands of years. The virus emerged due to the thawing of permafrost as the global temperature is rising.
- All of the “zombie viruses” have the potential to be infectious and hence pose a “health danger”.
- The oldest Zombie virus is Pandoravirus yedoma, named after the mythological character Pandora. Pandoravirus was discovered in a lake in Yukechi Alas in Yakutia, Russia.
- French scientists have warned of the onset of another outbreak after they revived a 48,500-year-old zombie virus.
3) Wildlife Trust of India (WTI): it is non-profit nature conservation organisation.
- It was formed in 1998 in response to the many crises confronting India’s wildlife and wild habitats. WTI is a registered charity in India (under Section 12A of the Income Tax Act, 1961)
- It is dedicated to the conservation of India’s wildlife, which it accomplishes by collaborating with local communities and governments on a variety of projects ranging from species rehabilitation to the prevention of illegal wildlife trade.
4) UNIVERSAL FLU VACCINE: The experimental flu vaccine relies on mRNA. It is in early stages — tested only in mice and ferrets — but the vaccine provides important proof that a single shot could be used against an entire family of viruses.
- If the vaccine succeeds in people, the approach could be used against other virus families, perhaps including the coronavirus.
- The vaccine would not replace annual flu shots but would provide a shield against severe disease and death from potential pandemic threats.
5) Wassenaar Arrangement: it has been established in order to contribute to regional and international security and stability, by promoting transparency and greater responsibility in transfers of conventional arms and dual-use goods and technologies, thus preventing destabilising accumulations.
- The body came into being in 1996 to succeed the Cold War-era Coordinating Committee for Multilateral Export Controls. Members: 42. India joined in 2017 as its 42nd state.
- The Arrangement is based on five crucial principles: It contributes to regional and international security , It promotes transparency and responsibility in transfers of conventional arms and dual-use goods and technologies, It complements and reinforces the export control regimes for weapons of mass destruction, It is not directed against any state or group of states. It uses export controls as a means to combat terrorism.
