UPSC Prelims Facts – 17 April 2024

UPSC Prelims Facts

Cotton farmers in North India may shift to paddy due to severe PBW infestation.

  • Commonly occur in – Cotton crops.
  • PBW larvae burrow into developing fruits (bolls) of cotton plants, and damage affects both weight and quality of harvested bolls.
  • Issue – Pink bollworms have developed resistance to genetically modified pest-resistant Bt cotton over time.
  • Management Strategies –
    • Adoption of highly productive short-duration hybrids that would escape PBW.
    • Crop rotation to break lifecycle of PBW.
    • PB Knot technology disrupts mating prospects of pest.

World Chagas Disease Day was observed by World Health Organisation on April 14.

  • Chagas Disease – Life-threatening illness caused by protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi.
  • Found mainly in – Latin American countries, where it is mostly vector-borne.
  • Transmitted by – Triatomine bug (vector-borne), and orally (food-borne), during pregnancy or birth (congenital), through blood/blood products, organ transplantation.
  • Often called – “Silent disease” because of no symptoms until damage is too advanced to be reversed.
  • Disease is clinically curable if treatment is initiated at early stage

Exercise Dustlik 2024 conducted.

  • Joint military exercise between Indian and Uzbekistan Army, conducted every year.

Gray slender Loris rescued in North Goa.

  • Found in – India and Sri Lanka.
  • Habitats – Tropical rainforests, scrub forests, semi-evergreen forests, swamps.
  • Characteristics –
    • Nocturnal animal
    • Lean and lanky appearance, with longer and slender limbs, larger ears, pointed snout and eyes circled with black or dark brown.
    • Slow movers and foragers, they nest near large insect colonies for easy meals.
    • They are Viviparous (producing living young instead of eggs).
  • IUCN Status – Near Threatened.

Assam celebrates Rongali Bihu. 

  • Celebrated in – Middle of April
  • It marks the beginning of Assamese New Year and onset of spring.
  • Other 2 Bihu festivals in Assam – Kati Bihu and Magh Bihu are celebrated in October and January, respectively. 
  • Similar festival in other states – Baisakhi (Punjab), Puthandu (Tamil Nadu), Vishu (Kerala), and Pohela Baisakh (West Bengal)

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