In News:

The Palamau Tiger Reserve (PTR), the last stronghold of the Gaur (Bos gaurus) in Jharkhand, has reported an alarming decline in population. Once spread across Saranda, Dalma, Hazaribagh, Gumla, and other forests of the state, Gaurs are now restricted to small and isolated groups in PTR’s northern range.

About Gaur

• Common name: Indian Bison
• Family: Bovidae; largest species of wild cattle.
• Distribution: Native to South and Southeast Asia.
• Preferred habitat:
  • Evergreen, semi-evergreen, and moist deciduous forests with grasslands.
  • Hilly terrains below 1,500–1,800 m with large, undisturbed forests and reliable water sources.

Conservation Status

• IUCN Red List: Vulnerable
• CITES: Appendix I
• Wildlife Protection Act, 1972: Schedule I

Population Trends in PTR

• 1970s population: ~150
• Recent study: Only 68 individuals remain.
• Demography: Slightly female-biased sex ratio (1:1.32), but very low numbers of juveniles and calves indicate poor recovery.

Ecological Significance

• Important prey species for large predators such as tigers and leopards.
• Herbivory: Helps regulate vegetation dynamics.
• Seed dispersal: Contributes to forest regeneration and ecosystem balance.

Causes of Decline

• Habitat degradation & fragmentation due to human activity.
• Anthropogenic pressures: Rising livestock populations (approx. 1.5 lakh around Betla region).
• Disease transmission from domestic cattle (e.g., foot-and-mouth disease, rinderpest).
• Genetic bottlenecks due to small and isolated herds.

Recovery Efforts in PTR

• Action Plan: “Ecology and Recovery Plan of Gaur in PTR” prepared after two years of research.
• Habitat improvement: Grassland expanded from 190 ha to 400 ha; waterholes secured.
• Security: 40 anti-poaching camps with round-the-clock staff.
• Technology: Use of GPS and modern monitoring systems.
• Disease control: Large-scale livestock vaccination programmes to reduce risks.
• Genetic infusion: Proposal to introduce Gaurs from Kanha Tiger Reserve (Madhya Pradesh) to improve genetic diversity.

About Palamau Tiger Reserve

• Location: Chota Nagpur Plateau, Jharkhand.
• Established: One of the first nine tiger reserves (1973 Project Tiger).
• Area: 1,129 sq km (Core: 414 sq km; Buffer: 715 sq km).
• Protected areas within PTR:
  • Palamau Wildlife Sanctuary
  • Betla National Park

In News:

A recent study published in the Journal of Cultural Heritage warns that rising sea levels may submerge Easter Island’s iconic Moai statues by 2080, endangering both the island’s cultural heritage and tourism-based economy.

About Moai Statues

• What they are: Massive monolithic statues carved from volcanic rock by the Rapa Nui people, the island’s first Polynesian settlers.
• Time of construction: Approx. 1250–1500 CE (some estimates: 1400–1650 CE).
• Number: Nearly 1,000 statues have been identified.
• Features:
  • Tallest statue: ~33 feet high.
  • Made primarily of volcanic tuff.
  • Carved in the likeness of ancestors.
• Cultural role:
  • Built to honor chiefs and important individuals.
  • Placed on rectangular stone platforms called ahu, which also served as tombs.
  • Each statue has unique traits to represent the person commemorated.

Study Findings

• Researchers used digital twin models and advanced simulations to project flooding risks caused by sea-level rise.
• Results show that by 2080, seasonal waves could reach Ahu Tongariki – the largest ceremonial platform on the island, part of the Rapa Nui National Park (UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1995).
• The flooding could impact 51 cultural assets, including the world-famous Moai statues.
• The study emphasizes the urgency of local community planning to safeguard heritage against climate risks.

Easter Island – Key Facts

• Location: Eastern Pacific Ocean.
• Forms part of the Polynesian Triangle along with Hawaii and New Zealand – the traditional homeland of Polynesian peoples.
• Known globally for its archaeological and cultural significance, particularly the Moai statues.

In News:

A recent study published in Global and Planetary Change (2025) has uncovered 117-million-year-old mud waves buried nearly 1 km beneath the Atlantic seabed west of Guinea-Bissau. This finding reshapes our understanding of the formation of the Atlantic Ocean, ancient climate patterns, and tectonic shifts during the Cretaceous period.

About Mud Waves

• Definition: Large, rhythmic sedimentary structures formed on the seafloor by persistent bottom currents.
• Age & Size: Approximately 117 million years old; over 1 km long and several hundred meters high.
• Location: Deep seabed, west of Guinea-Bissau, near the Equatorial Atlantic Gateway.
• Composition: Layered sediments preserving evidence of historic ocean circulation.

Formation Process

1. Early Atlantic Spillover: Around 117 million years ago, the young North Atlantic Ocean began spilling dense, salty waters into southern basins through the newly formed Equatorial Atlantic Gateway.
2. Underwater Avalanches: The influx collided with older, stagnant waters rich in mud and organic matter, triggering massive sediment avalanches.
3. Wave Formation: These currents pushed and piled up sediments into wave-like structures, which solidified into permanent mud waves over millions of years.

Scientific Significance

• Rewrites Ocean History: Suggests Atlantic waters circulated much earlier than previously thought.
• Climate Insights: Provides evidence of Cretaceous climate shifts and ancient carbon cycles.
• Tectonic Implications: Offers clues to plate movements shaping Earth’s geography during the breakup of Gondwana.

About the Atlantic Ocean

• Size & Shape: Second-largest ocean after the Pacific; distinctive ‘S’-shape.
• Major Features:
  • Mid-Atlantic Ridge: 14,000 km long, ~4 km high, central seafloor mountain range.
  • Continental Shelves: Widest along NE America and NW Europe.
  • Islands & Seamounts: Azores, Canary Islands, Bermuda, Cape Verde.
  • Trenches: Puerto Rico Trench, Romanche Trench (less prominent than Pacific trenches).
  • Marginal Seas: Hudson Bay, Gulf of Mexico, Baltic Sea.

In News:

The Union Cabinet has cleared four new semiconductor manufacturing projects worth ?4,600 crore in Odisha, Punjab, and Andhra Pradesh under the India Semiconductor Mission (ISM). With this, the total number of approved projects under ISM has reached ten across six states, attracting cumulative investments of nearly ?1.60 lakh crore.

Details of Newly Approved Units

• SiCSem Pvt. Ltd. (Odisha):
  • In partnership with UK-based Clas-SiC Wafer Fab Ltd.
  • India’s first commercial compound semiconductor fabrication unit focused on Silicon Carbide (SiC) devices.
  • Capacity: 60,000 wafers and 96 million packaged units annually.
• 3D Glass Solutions Inc. (Odisha):
  • Will establish a vertically integrated packaging and embedded glass substrate unit.
  • Focus: 3D Heterogeneous Integration modules.
• ASIP Technologies (Andhra Pradesh):
  • Joint venture with APACT Co. Ltd., South Korea.
  • Annual capacity: 96 million units.
  • Applications: Mobile phones, set-top boxes, automobiles, and other electronic devices.
• Continental Device India Pvt. Ltd. (Punjab):
  • Brownfield expansion of its Mohali facility.
  • Focus: High-power discrete devices – MOSFETs, IGBTs, Schottky diodes, and transistors (using both silicon and SiC).
  • Capacity: 158.38 million units annually.

Production from these units is expected to commence within the next 2–3 years.

Progress under ISM

• Launch Year: 2021
• Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY)
• Objective: Establish a self-reliant semiconductor and display ecosystem in India.
• Support: Incentive package of ?75,000 crore for fabs, ATMP/OSAT, compound semiconductor plants, and display fabs.
• Capacity Building: Target to train 60,000+ skilled professionals.
• Strategic Significance: Reduce import dependency, boost Atmanirbhar Bharat, and make India a global semiconductor hub.

Major Ongoing Projects under ISM

• Tata-PSMC Fab (Dholera, Gujarat): ?91,526 crore investment; capacity of 50,000 wafers/month for automotive and AI; operational by 2026.
• Micron ATMP (Sanand, Gujarat): ?22,900 crore investment; focus on DRAM and NAND packaging; expected by late 2025.
• Tata TSAT OSAT (Jagiroad, Assam): Output of 48 million chips/day.
• Kaynes OSAT (Sanand, Gujarat): Capacity of 6 million chips/day for telecom and industrial use.
• HCL–Foxconn JV (Uttar Pradesh): To produce 36 million display driver chips/month by 2027.

In News:

According to recent reports, Russia is preparing to conduct fresh trials of the 9M730 Burevestnik – a nuclear-powered cruise missile that has often been described as a “unique” and formidable addition to Moscow’s strategic arsenal.

About the Burevestnik

• The term Burevestnik translates to “storm petrel” in Russian.
• It is a ground-launched, nuclear-powered cruise missile, also capable of carrying a nuclear warhead.
• The system was first unveiled by the Russian President in 2018, as part of six advanced strategic weapons.
• NATO has designated it as SSC-X-9 “Skyfall.”
• In theory, its nuclear propulsion allows it to circle the globe multiple times before striking a target, making it an unprecedented strategic weapon.

Key Features

• Nuclear Propulsion: The missile uses a compact nuclear reactor that heats the surrounding air for thrust.
• Extended Range: Unlike traditional engines restricted by fuel capacity, the nuclear design enables a potential range of up to 22,000 km (14,000 miles).
• Low-Altitude Flight: The system is engineered to fly close to the ground, significantly reducing its detectability by conventional air-defence radars.
• Strategic Significance: Its combination of long endurance and stealthy trajectory poses challenges to existing missile defence systems.