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Biodiversity

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Biodiversity
Since the time man became different from other animals inhabiting the Earth, he has been making a lot of progress using all that he can. For ages, he treated nature as a vast storehouse of resources without paying any heed to the fact that his unscrupulous use of natural resources might pose a danger to all other species coexisting with him. He considered himself the only creature on this planet which was entitled to all the riches. Ignorant of the evil consequences of his ever- increasing and never-quenchable thirst for pleasure, he looked down upon every other species and treated himself as a master. He destroyed habitats of innumerable species to make room for avenues that provided him convenience and pleasure. The loss of habitats caused the large-scale extinction of many organisms. This harm to the lives of organisms affected human health adversely and today, the whole world has started taking immense interest in biodiversity. Taking into consideration the importance of biodiversity, the United Nations designated the year 2010 as the International Year of Biodiversity. The term “Biological Diversity” was coined by the wildlife scientist and conservationist, Raymond F. Dasmann, in 1968. Through a book, he advocated conservation. The term gained currency within a short span of time and by the 1980s, it came into common usage in science and environmental policy. The term’s contracted form “biodiversity” is said to have been most likely coined by W.G. Rosen in 1985 while planning the 1986 National Forum on Biological Diversity organised by the National Research Council (NRC). It first appeared in a publication in 1988 when entomologist E.O. Wilson used it as the tide of the proceedings of that forum. The 1992 United Nations Earth Summit defined biological diversity as “the variability among living organisms, from all sources, including inter alia, terrestrial, marine, and other aquatic ecosystems, and ecological complexes of which they are the part : this includes diversity within species, between species, and of ecosystems.
As far as biodiversity is concerned, it is not evenly distributed. Flora and fauna diversity depends on climate, altitude, soil and the presence of other species. In 2006, many species were formally classified as rare, endangered or threatened.
Scientists have expressed the view that millions of more species are at risk which has not been formally recognised. Even though terrestrial biodiversity declines from the equator to the poles, this cannot be verified in the case of aquatic ecosystems, especially in marine ecosystems. Generally, terrestrial biodiversity is up to 25 times greater than ocean biodiversity. A biodiversity hotspot is a region with a high level of endemic species. Hotspot was a term
coined by Dr Norman Myers. There are many hotspots in the world most of which are located in the tropics and are mainly forests.
Brazil’s Atlantic Forestisconsideredone major hotspot which is home to 20,000 plant species, 1,350 vertebrates and millions of insects, about half of which are not found anywhere else in the world. The island of Madagascar, particularly the unique Madagascar dry deciduous forests and lowland rain-forests, possesses a high ratio of endemism. Indonesia’s 17,000 islands cover 7,35,355 square miles. They contain lOpercentof the world’s flowering plants, 12 percent of mammals and 17 percent of reptiles, amphibians and birds. Biodiversity is the result of 3.5 billion years of evolution. Though scientists have not been able to ascertain the exact period of origin of species, but they think it to have occurred a few million years after the formation of the Earth. Nevertheless, according to scientists, archaea, bacteria, protozoans and similar single-celled organisms had started inhabiting this Earth approximately 600 million years ago. The history of biodiversity during the Phanerozoic (the last 540 million years) starts with rapid growth during the Cambrian explosion. This period is thought to be the time during which nearly every phylum of multicellular organisms first appeared. Over the next 400 million years or so, global diversity was marked by periodic, massive losses called mass extinction. A significant loss occurred when rainforests collapsed in the carboniferous. The worst was the Permo- triassic extinction that took place around 251 million years ago. It took vertebrates 30 million years to recover from this event. As per fossil records, the last few million years witnessed the greatest biodiversity in history.
Estimates of the present global macroscopic species diversity vary from 2 million to 100 million, best of which is estimated somewhere near 13-14 million, the vast majority comprising arthropods.
The fact is, however, this that biodiversity is under threat across the globe. India also does not present any
different picture and its considerable biodiversity is under threat. Biodiversity here has been mainly measured by
the numbers of plants and vertebrates and their presence is greatest in the Western Ghats and northeast.
Both the areas are also included in the world’s list of hotspots of biodiversity i.e. small geographic areas with high
species diversity. Of the two areas, the Western Ghats have more endemic species which are found nowhere else,
Threats to species are mainly due to decline in the areas of their habitats, fragmentation of habitats and decline in
habitat quality. Hunting has also been found to be a cause of extinction, especially in the case of some mammals.
Fragmentation also raises the extinction risk, because isolated subpopulations can become extinct one by one due
to not being repopulated. Stochastic declines in small subpopulations make it more likely that they will become
extinct and this is further aggravated by the reduction of genetic variability in subpopulations. Species with
already restricted ranges are particularly vulnerable to these threats. For the terrestrial species, the declines in
habitat quality and quantity arise from the conversion of forests and grasslands into agricultural land, of natural
forests to monoculture plantations and from grazing and woodcutting pressures. In some areas, invasion by
exotic species of plants also results in habitat degradation. For example, Peruvian thorny tree Prosopis julijlora in
the dry parts of northern India have replaced the native species, Acacia milotica(Babool) and South American
flowering bush lantana Camara has spread in the sub-Himalayan belt. For aquatic and semiaquatic
species, the declines in habitat quality are due to diversion of ground and surface water, resulting in drying up of
streams and other water bodies, from siltation, and pollution from pesticides and other chemicals. Freshwater
fishes are also threatened by the introduction of exotic species which are either predator or competitors.
We should do our best to preserve the biodiversity in the country because it is valuable on account of many factors. It has great economic value. Economic value comprises pharmaceutical uses also. Ecosystem value is another important aspect of biodiversity. Loss of biodiversity may cause large unpredictable changes in an ecosystem, thereby adversely affecting agriculture and human health. Loss of biodiversity also indirectly affects tourism. Some areas in India, like Kerala or Tamil Nadu, attract people due to their richness with regard to biodiversity also. Last but not least, there is existence value of biodiversity. Conservation of biodiversity is a major area of concern. Joint Forest Management and Eco-development schemes were initiated in the 1980s and 1990s. Local communities exercise influence over the exploitation of the natural assets and they have the power to degrade them or prevent others from degrading them if they are motivated to do so. The best way of preserving the biodiversity is, undoubtedly, to assign the full rights to revenue flows from non­extractive uses such as tourism to the local communities, together with a democratic and transparent institution that allows them to resolve internal common pool problems. In addition, rights to extractive uses, at least with some restriction, would not degrade the resource. Local communities, if made to participate thus in preservation, feel some sense of confidence and this will act as an incentive both to maintain the resource and to exclude the outside appropriators. In several cases, the local communities may be motivated and taken into confidence, if they are simply allowed to use their respective areas for grazing, firewood collection, timber, and collection of other forest produce in and around existing “Protected Areas” (Wildlife Sanctuaries and National Parks).
Many debates over the Tribal Rights Bill have suggested that neither conservationists nor tribal rights activists have seriously considered a solution in regard to the transfer of tourist revenues to local communities. Many experts have, however, suggested that there should have been much more meaningful local involvement in conservation management. Incentive payments, rather than coercive regulation, would probably be the much better option for conservation efforts. Some experts have also opined that a misconception related to extractive human use is incompatible with biodiversity conservation. In some cases, as in the famous bird refuge at Keoladeo Ghana, biodiversity depends on certain human uses such as grazing. The ban on grazing had an adverse impact because it resulted in water bird habitat being choked by unwanted vegetation. The pattern of dispossession and alienation of forest communities and failed state regulation is very much evident in northeastern States in India. They are demographically different from the rest of the country because Scheduled Tribes constitute a majority of the population. As far as statistics are concerned, there are no systematic comparisons of the performance of the northeastern States in forest conservation with the rest of the country. Statistics show that hunting has reduced wildlife populations in these areas considerably. There should be a serious attempt to apply the provisions ‘bf the Wildlife Protection Act restricting hunting in these areas.
While a discussion is on with regard to conservation of natural resources, mention must be made of the Government of India’s initiatives. For example, the monitorable targets for the Twelfth Plan include greening 5 million ha under Green India Mission including 1.5 million ha of degraded lands, afforestation and eco- restoration of 0.9 million ha of ecologically sensitive areas; Technology-based monitoring of forest cover, biodiversity and growing stock including change- monitoring on periodical basis through dedicated satellite by 2017 and establishment of open web-basedNational Forestry and Environmental Information system for research and public accessibility by 2015; Engagement of Village Green Guards/Community Foresters for every Joint Forest Management (JFM) village by 2016; Establishing forestry seed bank in forest circles and Model Nursery in every district with information on public portal by 2014. Besides, 20 percent of veterinary professionals in the country will be trained in treating wildlife; Integrated Ecotourism District Plans covering 10 percent of all potential Protected Areas (PAs) by 2017; Promoting participation of private sector, civil societies, NGOs and philanthropists in animal welfare. The Government will also do its best to restore 0.1 million ha of wetlands/inland lakes/water bodies by 2017. Mapping and preparation of biodiversity management plans for deserts (both cold and arid), coastal areas, important coral zones, wetlands, mangroves and so on are to be completed by 2017 according to the Twelfth Five- Year Plan document.
Taking conservation issue seriously is a good step indeed. According to recent media reports, some States have adopted science-based conservation methods to increase the dwindling number of tigers which have adopted transparent constructive ‘public-private partnership’ model and have forged ties with research organisations. Tamil Nadu is one of the States which have a keen focus on conservation, and Karnataka has presented a very good example of such a public-private partnership. The population estimate for 2010 was 1,706 tigers compared with 1,411 in 2006. The counting exercise should be carried out annually, not every four years. The foundation for the aforementioned exercise is being contemplated by the Wildlife Institute of India and the National Tiger Conservation Authority along with the leading conservationists. They are going to decide the methodology for future monitoring and assessment of tiger population. We should look forward to the same with regard to other species also. Biodiversity is very essential for the existence of this planet itself and it should be taken seriously by all not only in India but also across the globe.

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Peaceful Countries of the World

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peaceful countries
peaceful countries

Denmark

Denmark tops the list of the most peaceful countries on Earth since it’s really a safe place to live. Even while Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark, was under occupation by the Nazis during the World War II, it still did not fight. The point is that people living in Denmark prefer to focus on economic matters, instead of involving themselves in various armed conflicts. Danish people are very friendly, open and helpful.

Norway

According to the Global Peace Index, Norway is one of the world’s most peaceful countries and friendly and safe place to live. Norway is the country with the highest level of human development in the globe, plus, the government of Oslo always places peace at the forefront of the priorities of the country.

Read Also: Human Development Report 2013

Singapore

Singapore can never take its right to exist and security for granted. Since achieving its independence in 1965 as a sovereign Republic, Singapore has always concentrated on being a great neighbor, through establishing social, peaceful, economic, cordial political relations with all countries. The country has worked with the United Nations and its supporting agencies on a great variety of efforts. Singapore is among the most peaceful countries in the world as well as one of the world’s wealthiest countries.

Slovenia

A beautiful European country, Slovenia is also among the most peaceful countries in the world. The country got its lowest marks in funding for the United Nations peacekeeping missions, the number of police and security officers, the level of perceived criminality in society, the number of organized internal conflicts, violent protests, and the number of internal and external wars fought.

Sweden

Sweden is located in the far north of Europe. Sweden is one of the most peaceful countries in the world, in spite of the fact that it’s among the world’s top arms exporters. Besides, Sweden has not been to war and has not participated in any combats for the whole 2 centuries.

Iceland

Iceland was also ranked as one of the most peaceful countries in the world, staying out of the main conflicts in the world. Tourists from all parts of the world come to Iceland to view its huge glaciers and raging volcanoes, as well as numerous unique natural and cultural attractions in Reykjavik, the capital of Iceland.

Must Read: India Among World Most Violent Places— Global Peace Index

Belgium

Belgium is one of the best and most peaceful places to live in Europe and on Earth. Situated in the heart of Europe, this small country holds a special place. Brussels, the capital of Belgium, is home to the European Union and NATO. Belgium boasts medieval cities, beautiful town halls, majestic castles, and captivating natural beauty.

The Czech Republic

The Czech Republic gained its independence from the Soviet Bloc in 1989 due to the Velvet Revolution and its subsequent split with Slovakia. In 2009, the Human Development Index (HDI) ranked the Czech Republic as a country of ‘Very High Human Development.’ Renowned mostly for its magnificent capital city Prague and breathtaking natural beauty, the Czech Republic draws tourists from all over the world.

Switzerland

Switzerland received the lowest score for political instability. It’s also among the world’s most peaceful countries that have low levels of violent crime. Although Switzerland is known for its neutrality in regional, international and global political issues, it maintains strong diplomatic relations with various countries around the world.

Ireland

Ireland is one of the most peaceful countries on Earth! Ireland is an overall fabulous country with a plethora of reasons for tourism! Its rich literary history, castle-topped hills, spectacular coastline, and legendary hospitality make Ireland a wonderful place to visit any time of the year.

Finland

Finland is considered one of the most peaceful and lovable countries, which is not renowned for its combative nature. Finland is still a country that embraces mandatory civil and military service for young people, and the country’s only participation in fighting has been as a part of joint United Nations peacekeeping forces. Finland’s education system is ranked fifth best in the world.

New Zealand

New Zealand as one of the most peaceful countries in the world. With a small percentage of its population in prison, limited military capability, strong relations with Australia and down-to-earth hospitality, New Zealand is a wonderful country to live in. This is a country of natural beauty, diverse scenery and quirky natives.

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Country, Capital and their National Day

Country and Capital

Ancient Egyptian Art – Painting

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Ancient Egyptian Art is the painting, sculpture, architecture and other arts produced by the civilization in the lower Nile Valley from 5000 BCE to 300 CE. Ancient Egyptian Art reached a high level in painting and sculpture, and was both highly stylized and symbolic. Much of the surviving art comes from tombs and monuments and thus there is an emphasis on life after death and the preservation of knowledge of past.

Egyptian folk art often has eyes in it as a symbol of the goods watching upon the pharaohs. In a more narrow sense, Egyptian art refers to the canonical 2nd and 3rd Dynasty art developed in Egypt from 3000 BCE and used until the 3rd century. Most elements of Egyptian art remained remarkably stable over that 3000 year period with relatively little outside influence. The quality of observation and execution started at a high level and remained near the level throughout the period.

Must Read: Earliest Civilizations Egyptian, Sumerian, Indus Valley and Phoenician

Interesting information about Egyptian Art: 

Symbolism:

Symbolism also played an important role in establishing a sense of order. Symbolism, ranging from the pharaoh’s regalia (symbolizing his power to maintain order) to the individual symbols of Egyptian gods and goddesses, is omnipresent in Egyptian art.

Colors were more expressive rather than natural: red skin implied vigorous tanned youth, where yellow skin was used for women or middle-aged men who worked indoors; blue or gold indicated divinity because of its unnatural appearance and association with precious materials; the use of black for royal figures expressed the fertility of the Nile from which Egypt was born. The stereotype was employed to indicate the geographical origins of foreigners. 

Art forms:

Ancient Egyptian art forms are characterized by regularity and detailed depiction of Gods, human beings, heroic battles, and nature, and were intended to provide solace to the deceased in the afterlife. Artists endeavored to preserve everything from the present as clearly and permanently as possible. Ancient Egyptian art was created using medium ranging from papyrus drawings to pictographs (hieroglyphics) and include funerary sculpture carved in relief and in the round form sandstone, quartz diorite, and granite. Ancient Egyptian art displays an extraordinarily vivid representation of the Ancient Egyptian socioeconomic status and belief system. Egyptian art in all form obeyed one law: the mode of representing Pharaoh, gods, man, nature and the environment remained consistent for thousands of years. The most admired artists were those who replicated the stylized depictions of Egypt most vegetated figure; humanity or divinity.

Read Also: The Gandhara Art

Wall painting of Nefertari:

All Egyptian reliefs were painted, and less prestigious works in tombs, temples and palaces were just painted on a flat surface. Stone surfaces were prepared by whitewash, or if rough, a layer of coarse mud plaster, with a smoother gesso layer above; some finer limestones could take paint directly. Pigments were mostly mineral, chosen to withstand strong sunlight without fading. The binding medium used in painting remains unclear: egg tempera and various gums and resins have been suggested. It is clear that true fresco, painted into a thin layer of wet plaster, was not used. Instead, the paint was applied to dried plaster, in what is called “fresco a secco” in Italian. After painting, a varnish or resin was usually applied as a protective coating, and many paintings with some exposure to the elements have survived remarkably well, although those on fully exposed walls rarely have. Small objects including wooden statuettes were often painted using similar techniques.

Many ancient Egyptian paintings have survived due to Egypt’s extremely dry climate. The paintings were often made with the intent of making a pleasant afterlife for the decreased.

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How to Overcome the Fear of Failure?

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fear of failure

Every person is afraid of failure as it’s a human nature. When we go outside of our comfort zone, we feel scared because when things do not go as we expect, we can literally feel like we are going to fail. Fear is a problem, because it damages everything in life. It destroys our dreams, and keeps us away from building our dreams we’re trying to build as fear of failure robs life of its joy.

Strategies to Reduce the Fear of Failure:

A failure to one person might simply be a great learning experience for someone else. It’s important to realize that in everything we do, there’s always a chance that we’ll fail. Facing that chance, and embracing it, is not only courageous but it also gives us a fuller, more rewarding life.

Must Read: 10 Ways to Overcome Exam Fear

Visualize Obstacles

Think of a situation in which you are afraid of failure. Visualize yourself by hitting an obstacle, allow yourself to feel the fear, and then see yourself moving forward. Spend a few minutes planning how to overcome whatever obstacles may stand in your way. Then you will see yourself succeeding despite these obstacles.

Reframe Your Goals

First, reframe failure by shifting your goals. Expand your goal to include learning something new and you will never technically “fail” because there is always something to be learned.

Also Read: How to Prepare Notes for UPSC Exam?

Identify the Root Cause

Where does our fear of failure originate? Identifying the root cause is the first step of acknowledging our fear and overcoming it. Sit down, take a few deep breaths, ask yourself when your fear of failure was formed, and observe what you see, feel, or hear. It’s crucial to examine all of your negative beliefs, because they have a big influence on our life as the fear of failure is instilled in us from our early childhood.

Failure is Inevitable

Failure is inevitable, let’s face it, if you want to live a remarkable life. You want to live a life full of passion, meaning, and purpose. But it’s not going to happen if you succumb to your fears and try to look for a more comfortable way out, because there is none. If you want the life of your dreams come true, make failure a part of your life.

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Fail More. Succeed More.

The more you fail, the more you succeed. Failure feels permanent, but it isn’t. You know that, but you don’t act like it is so. The difference between the successful and the not-yet-successful is the realization that failure is simply a stepping stone, not a permanent event.

Learn to Think More Positively

Positive thinking is an incredibly powerful way to build self-confidence. Positive thinking is a comprehensive resource for learning how to change your thoughts. By focusing on successes and positive aspects, you will learn what works and be better prepared for the future. Overcoming fear of failure is not easy by any means, but it can be done, especially if you are determined to take it to the next level.

Must Read: How to Prepare for Civil Services Aptitude Test (CSAT)?

Shift Your Perspective

Eliminate your negative beliefs and start with being aware that from where a problem actually exists. Failure isn’t an ending , it’s a part of your story. It’s a natural part of growing. And at times, it should be looked at as positive, not negative. By changing your perception of failure you can learn to stop fearing it.

Failure is one of the most common and most damaging fears that many people struggle with. However, failure is often the first step toward success as failure is a necessary part of the learning process.

Take notes

Learning from the past is critical to build a better future for yourself. Keep track of what worked, what didn’t, and why. Plan any future actions in accordance with what you have learned from your past actions. Improving your future plans by keeping track of what works and what doesn’t will help ease the fear of failure. Experiencing failure will allow you to learn from what didn’t work and will help you avoid that setback in future attempts.

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Take Action

The only true failure is the one that happens when you never even try. Taking the first step is generally the most difficult; however, it is also the most important. It is natural to feel afraid and uncomfortable when trying something new. Moving forward will provide you new information and allow you to adjust your course of action towards success.

Find a mentor

Mentors can be amazingly valuable people to have in your life. The great thing about mentors is that they have most probably struggled with fear at some point and can relate to the position you’re in and help you get past it.

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Trust Your Inner Guide

Always trust yourself and your own feeling. It turns out that you are wrong, then the natural growth of your inner life will eventually guide you to other insights. Allow your judgments their own silent, undisturbed development, which, like all progress, must come from deep within and cannot be forced or hastened. Many of the failures come from not trusting in yourself.

Never Say Never

Failure is a part of life; it is failure that makes us stronger and persistent to achieve our goal. Because even when we fail, we do not lose it all, we can learn valuable lessons, and build the foundation. If you don’t have that fire burning inside of you, you should think twice about moving forward. Find your passion, and boldly go where you have never gone before.

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Paryushan Festival – Jain Festival and Meat Ban Controversy

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Paryushan Festival

Today Supreme court refused a plea supporting state government’s decision to ban sale of meat and slaughter in Mumbai during the Paryushan festival,  It said that meat bans cannot be “shoved down someone’s throat”.

What is Paryushan Festival?

Popularly known as Paryushan festival or Parv among Svetambaras and Das Lakshana among Digambaras, is an important Jain festival. Duration of the festival is 8 days for Svetambaras and 10 days for Digambaras.  During festival Jains observe a fast, which may be for 1 to 30 days. All Jains meditate and pray for all 8 or 10 days generally in August or September.

Must Read: Events and Festivals in Puri

Why this news is important?

1. A cultural festival is associated with this news
2. An old stay order of Bombay High Court was challenged in this case
3. Ban in Jammu and Kashmir

What was case?

A Jain community organisation filed a plea in Supreme Court to set aside an old stay order of 2004 by Bombay High Court on State Government’s decision of banning sale of meat and slaughtering. Jain community organisation wanted this ban for 20 days during festival citing compassion for animal .

Animals have right under Article 21.

Petitioner’s Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi argued in court that even animals have right under Article 21.
What can I say on this? Don’t use even mosquito repellents otherwise you may go behind bars for violating article 21 because insects must also have right under article 21.

Also Read: Festivals of Asia