Syllabus:

• Prelims & Mains – ART & CULTURE

Context: 3rd December marked the birth anniversary of Nandalal Bose, who is recognized as one of the pioneers of modern Indian art and a prominent figure in the neo-Bengal school.

Background: –

• Bose played a significant role in training generations of artists. He was greatly admired by his contemporaries and inspired his students to draw inspiration from both nature and various art traditions, just as he did.

Key takeaways

• Born in Munger, Bihar, on December 3, 1882, Bose was one of the greatest exponents of modern art. 
• He was mentored by Abanindranath Tagore and was renowned for his distinctive “Indian style” of painting. In 1922, he became the principal of Kala Bhavan in Santiniketan.
• His influences encompassed many styles, including Japanese Nihonga traditions, Mughal and Rajasthani miniatures, palm-leaf manuscripts, and murals found in the Ajanta Caves.
• Notable Works: Some of his famous works include “Yama and Savitri” (1913) and “Kirat-Arjuna”.
• During a period when India’s artistic traditions had significantly diminished due to years of British colonial rule, Nandalal Bose played a pivotal role in the cultural regeneration and independence of the nation through his contributions in art and education.
• Nandalal Bose passed away in 1966, in Santiniketan, West Bengal. He received numerous accolades including the Padma Vibhushan. The National Gallery of Modern Art houses over 6,800 of his works in its collection.
• Archaeological Survey of India has recognised the works of Nandalal Bose as “art treasures” under the Antiquities and Art Treasures Act of 1972. 

Source: Indian Express

Syllabus:

• Prelims – ENVIRONMENT

Context: The Ratapani Wildlife Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh was declared a tiger reserve following in-principle approval from the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change through the National Tiger Conservation Authority.

Background: –

• This development comes against the backdrop of Madhav National Park (Madhya Pradesh) also receiving approval to be declared a tiger reserve. 
• Ratapani is the 57th tiger reserve in India, marking a significant step in tiger conservation efforts

Key takeaways

• The notification delineates the core and buffer areas, making Ratapani the eighth tiger reserve in Madhya Pradesh. 
• The core area spans 763.8 square kilometers, while the buffer area covers 507.6 square kilometers, making the total area of the Ratapani Tiger Reserve 1,271.4 square kilometers.
• The notification was issued under Section 38V of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, acknowledging the core area as a critical tiger habitat. 
• Sitting in the lap of the Vindhya hills, the sanctuary encompasses a World Heritage Site – the Bhimbetka Rock Shelters – and many historical and religious destinations.
• The reserve is home to a rich variety of flora and fauna, including teak forests, bamboo, and a diverse range of wildlife.

Source: Indian Express

Syllabus:

• Prelims & Mains – ENVIRONMENT

Context: Land degradation is undermining Earth’s capacity to sustain humanity, and failure to reverse it will pose challenges for generations to come, a new United Nations report found.

Background:

• The analysis has been carried out by the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) — a legally binding framework to address desertification — in collaboration with Germany’s Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research.

Key takeaways

• According to UNCCD, land degradation is the reduction or loss of the biological or economic productivity and complexity of rainfed cropland, irrigated cropland, or range, pasture, forest and woodlands resulting from a combination of pressures, including land use and management practices.
• A million sq km of land is getting degraded each year, with an estimated 15 million sq km already impacted — more than the entire continent of Antarctica — by land degradation, the report titled Stepping back from the precipice: Transforming land management to stay within planetary boundaries said.

What is causing land degradation?

• Unsustainable agricultural practices such as the heavy use of chemical inputs, pesticides, and water diversion are the foremost drivers of land degradation, the report said. That is because such practices lead to deforestation, soil erosion, and pollution.
• Another factor is climate change. Global warming has worsened land degradation by increasing frequency, intensity and/ or amount of heavy precipitation, and increased heat stress.
• Then there is rapid urbanisation, which has intensified land degradation by contributing to habitat destruction, pollution, and biodiversity loss.

Impacts of Land Degradation

• Human Health and Nutrition
  • Reduces the quality and quantity of food production, increasing the risk of malnutrition.
  • Contributes to water- and food-borne diseases due to poor hygiene and scarcity of clean water.
  • Causes respiratory diseases from soil erosion.
• Impact on Marine and Freshwater Systems
  • Eroded soil carrying fertilizers and pesticides contaminates water bodies.
  • Harms aquatic fauna and affects local communities dependent on these ecosystems.
• Contribution to Climate Change
  • Degraded soil releases carbon (CO2 and nitrous oxide), intensifying global warming.
  • Soil, a major terrestrial carbon sink, loses its ability to sequester carbon.
• Reduced Carbon Absorption by Ecosystems
  • Land ecosystems’ capacity to absorb human-caused CO2 has declined by 20% in the last decade.
  • Previously, these ecosystems absorbed nearly one-third of human-caused emissions.

Source: Indian Express

Syllabus:

• Prelims – ENVIRONMENT

Context: Let’s have a look at India’s wildlife on World Wildlife Conservation Day.

Background: –

• World Wildlife Conservation Day is observed annually on December 4th. The day highlights the critical challenges facing wildlife populations, including extinction, endangerment, and illegal wildlife trade.

Key takeaways

• Despite possessing only 2.4% of the world’s land area, India accounts for 7-8% of all recorded species, which includes 45,000 species of plants and 91,000 of animals. This rich biodiversity is one of the reasons that it has been identified as a megadiverse country.
• India has 10 biogeographic zones and is home to 8.58% of the mammalian species documented so far, with the corresponding figures for avian species being 13.66%, for reptiles 7.91%, for amphibians 4.66%, for fish 11.72% and for plants 11.8%.
• Four of the 34 globally identified biodiversity hotspots, namely the Himalayas, Indo-Burma, the Western Ghats-Sri Lanka and Sundaland, are located in India.

Risk of extinction

• There are 73 “critically endangered” species in India as of 2022 — the most updated estimates made available by the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change. 
• The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) classifies species as critically endangered when they are at the highest risk of extinction in the wild. The number of critically endangered species has risen from 47 in 2011, though this also due to improvements in data availability and monitoring and not entirely due to animals of a species getting decimated.
• Of the nine species of mammals considered critically endangered, eight are endemic, which means that their habitat is limited to a small geographic area within India. These include the Kashmir stag or Hangul, Malabar large-spotted civet, Andaman Shrew, Jenkin’s shrew, Nicobar shrew, Namdapha flying squirrel, large rock rat and Leafletted leaf-nosed bat.

Source: The Hindu

Syllabus:

• Prelims – GEOGRAPHY

Context: Marking another milestone in the maritime history of the State, the Kerala government will issue the provisional completion certificate for the Vizhinjam international seaport today, marking the beginning of the informal commercial operation of the port. 

Background: –

• The port, which began limited-scale operations on July 12 as part of a trial run, has witnessed the docking of a total of 70 cargo ships. Close to 90% of the port infrastructure work has been completed, and the remaining work will be done in the coming months, but it is not a hindrance to the full-scale commercial operations of the port.

Key takeaways

• The Vizhinjam International Seaport is a significant infrastructure project located in Vizhinjam, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.
• Location: Situated about 16 kilometers south of Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.
• It is India’s First Deep-Water Container Transshipment Port.

Key Features

• Strategic Location: Just 10 nautical miles from the busy international shipping route connecting Europe, the Persian Gulf, Southeast Asia, and the Far East.
• Natural Depth: The port has a natural depth of 24 meters, reducing the need for extensive dredging.
• Capacity: Designed to handle ultra-large container ships with capacities exceeding 24,000 TEUs (Twenty-foot Equivalent Units).
• Infrastructure: The port will have two breakwaters, a harbor basin, and multiple berths, including a cruise berth.
• Economic Impact: Expected to handle 50% of India’s container transshipment needs currently managed by ports in Dubai, Colombo, and Singapore.

Development and Management

• Developer: The project is a joint venture between the Government of Kerala and Adani Vizhinjam Port Private Limited (AVPL).
• The port is developed in landlord model with a Public Private Partnership component on a design, build, finance, operate and transfer (“DBFOT”) basis.

Source: The Hindu

Q1.) Regarding Nandalal Bose, which of the following statements is/are correct?

1. He was mentored by Rabindranath Tagore and was a prominent figure in the Neo-Bengal school of art.
2. His notable works include “Yama and Savitri” and “Kirat-Arjuna.”
3. He served as the principal of Kala Bhavan in Santiniketan.

Select the correct answer using the code given below:
a) 1 and 2 only
b) 2 and 3 only
c) 1 and 3 only
d) 1, 2, and 3

Q2.) Consider the following statements about Ratapani Tiger Reserve:

1. It is located in the Vindhya hills and encompasses the Bhimbetka Rock Shelters, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
2. The reserve is part of Simlipal Biosphere reserve.
3. It is the first tiger reserve in Madhya Pradesh.

Select the correct answer using the code given below:
a) 1 only
b) 2 and 3 only
c) 1 and 3 only
d) 1, 2, and 3

Q3.) With reference to the Vizhinjam Sea Port, consider the following statements:

1. It is India’s first deep-water container transshipment port.
2. The port is designed to handle ultra-large container ships with capacities exceeding 24,000 TEUs.
3. It is located in Kochi, Kerala, and is being developed by the Government of India.

Select the correct answer using the code given below:
a) 1 and 2 only
b) 1 and 3 only
c) 2 and 3 only
d) 1, 2, and 3

Comment the answers to the above questions in the comment section below!!

ANSWERS FOR ’  Today’s – Daily Practice MCQs’ will be updated along with tomorrow’s Daily Current Affairs

Q.1) – b

Q.2) – b

Q.3) – b