Miyawaki Forest Plantation

Syllabus: GS3/ Environment

Context

The Delhi government’s Forest Department has planned a Miyawaki plantation drive at the Asola-Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary.

Miyawaki Technique

Origin: The Miyawaki technique, Often referred to as the ‘pot plantation method’, was developed by renowned Japanese botanist Akira Miyawaki in the 1970s.
It is a revolutionary method for creating dense forests in small urban spaces.
Principle: It involves planting trees and shrubs close to one another to accelerate their growth. Plants grow 10 times faster with this technique, making it a practical solution for urban areas.
Significance: In urban areas, the method is known to have successfully converted barren, polluted lands into thriving green ecosystems, simultaneously managing industrial waste and curbing pollution.

Asola-Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary

The Asola-Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary is located in southern Delhi and extends into parts of Faridabad in Haryana.
The sanctuary lies along the Southern Ridge of the Aravalli Range, which is one of the oldest mountain systems in the world.
The sanctuary was declared a protected area in 1991 under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
The sanctuary is also known as the “green lungs” of Delhi and acts as a natural ecological barrier against the eastward expansion of the Thar Desert.

Syllabus: GS3/Defence

Context

The Union Minister for Defence laid the foundation stone for the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) project at Puttaparthi, Andhra Pradesh.

Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) programme facility

is being developed by the Aeronautical Development Agency under the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
It will serve as the integration, development and flight testing hub for India’s indigenous fifth-generation stealth fighter aircraft programme.
The AMCA fighter aircraft will feature stealth technology, twin-engine super cruise capability and advanced avionics.

Syllabus: GS3/Cyber Security

In News

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has launched an AI-based helpbot called “Abhay” for authentication of CBI notices.

‘Abhay’

It is the AI-powered chatbot-style verification mechanism for the public to verify notices issued by CBI.
It is designed to protect the citizens from the growing menace of cyber fraud and digital arrest scams.
It has been designed keeping in mind data confidentiality and the requirement for a public-facing authentication mechanism.

Syllabus: GS3/Environment

In News

India’s first satellite-tagged Ganges soft-shell turtle was released in Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve in Assam.
Assam is one of the world’s top priority areas in freshwater turtle conservation. Of the eight soft-shell turtles reported from India, five are known from the Kaziranga landscape.

Ganges soft-shell turtle (Nilssonia gangetica),

Characteristics: It can be differentiated from other riverine turtles by its distinct arrowhead-shaped markings on the top of the head.
It feeds on fish, birds, reptiles, invertebrates, carrion, and aquatic plants.
Habitat and Distribution: It mainly lives in rivers and large canals with muddy bottoms and flowing, turbid water, though it may also use ponds and lakes.
It is found across the northern plains of the Indian subcontinent, including the Indus, Ganga, Narmada, Mahanadi, and Brahmaputra river basins in India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, and Afghanistan.
In India, the species inhabits large rivers, lakes, and reservoirs.
Ecological Role : It is a major river predator and helps clean up the system by feeding on dead and decaying animal matter.
Threats : It faces severe threats from illegal hunting, international trade, and habitat destruction.
Protection status : It is a Schedule I animal under the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972.
It is recorded as endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.
It is included in CITES Appendix I, prohibiting all forms of international commercial trade.