The Great Indian Bustard (GIB)

• This year, the Great Indian Bustard (GIB) has not made its yearly visit at the Andhra Pradesh wildlife sanctuary, Rollapadu.
  Context:
  
  Despite undertaking routine checks, Andhra Pradesh’s forest officials have not been able to locate the bird in the state for the past two years.
  
  About Great Indian Bustard:-
  
  
• One of the heaviest flying birds is the Great Indian Bustard (GIB), which is mostly found in the Indian subcontinent.
• There are thought to be less than 140 of these birds left in the world today, and they are primarily found in Rajasthan and Gujarat.
• According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s red list, it is classified as severely endangered.
• Scientific name: nigriceps aradeotis.
• Physical description: Pale head and neck contrast with a black crown on the forehead.
• They consume grass seeds, insects like as beetles and grasshoppers, and occasionally even tiny rodents and reptiles.
• Distribution: Currently, the bustards’ only known home is India, where they are primarily found in Rajasthan and Gujarat. There are also small populations in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Maharashtra.
• It is Rajasthan’s official bird. Because of its proximity to roads, availability of grasslands, and climate that is ideal for them, Sorsan in Rajasthan has been determined to be the most suitable location for GIB chick rearing, along with the chick-rearing center in Jaisalmer.
• A flagship species of the grasslands, the GIB is essential to their health, which in turn affects many other animal and bird species as well as the dairy industry.
  
  Factors affecting population of GIBs:
  
  
• Loss and fragmentation of habitat are the results of urbanization and agricultural expansion.
• The bustards’ normal habit can be disturbed by increased human activity like grazing and disturbance from tourists, which can have an impact on the birds’ ability to reproduce and feed.
• The Great Indian Bustard is still threatened by poaching. Even though they are legally protected, their meat and feathers are occasionally sought for.
• The semi-arid areas where the birds are found put them at risk of colliding with overhead electricity lines. Deaths and a decrease in population may result from this.
• The availability of suitable habitats and prey species can be impacted by climate change, which could have an indirect effect on the number of bustards.
• Low Reproductive Success: During the nesting season, disturbances may cause birds to abandon their nests or fail to nurture their young. As a result, there may be low reproductive success.GIBs have a modest reproductive rate, laying only a few eggs, and raise their young for nearly a full year.
• Limited Genetic Diversity: The Great Indian Bustard may have less genetic diversity as a result of their limited and isolated groups, which leaves them more susceptible to illnesses and environmental changes.

RAJYA SABHA ELECTION

February 27 is the scheduled date of the Rajya Sabha’s 56 seat elections.

Context:

• The roster of candidates for the Rajya Sabha election has been made public by major political parties.Since the Lok Sabha Election is soon, it is being closely followed.
  
  
  

About Rajya Sabha election:

• The Rajya Sabha is an enduring body that cannot be disbanded.
• According to Article 83(1) of the Constitution, a third of its members must retire after every two years in order to maintain continuity. “Biennial elections” are then held to replace these vacancies.
• A member is elected to a six-year term.
• Of the 245 members, 233 are representatives of the States and the Union territories of Delhi and Puducherry, and 12 are the President’s nominees.

Rajya Sabha polls: Who casts a ballot and how?

• MLAs choose the Rajya Sabha Members of Parliament by an indirect election.
• According to Article 80(4), members will be chosen by the state assemblies’ elected members using a single transferable vote and a proportional representation method.
• The Rajya Sabha seats are distributed among the states and Union Territories according to the population of each state, as stipulated in the Fourth Schedule to the Constitution.
  
  Rajya Sabha polls have an open ballot
  
  
• There is an open voting mechanism in the Rajya Sabha elections, however it is a restricted kind of transparency.
• Votes shall be deemed void if a marked ballot is presented to anyone other than the official representative of the voter’s own party. The vote cannot be counted if the ballot is not presented to the authorized agent.
• It is forbidden for independent candidates to display their ballots to third parties.

Brumation

Usually seen in the winter, it’s a process akin to hibernation.

Context:
Scholars have documented cases of brumation across a range of reptile taxa and environments.
About Brumation:

• It is the term used to characterize a dormant or slowed-down period of activity in reptiles, akin to mammal hibernation.
• It usually happens in the winter, when it gets colder outside and food gets scarce.
• In order to preserve energy and endure these unfavorable environmental circumstances, reptiles go into a state called brumation.
• Reptiles may withdraw to underground burrows, rock crevices, or other protected locations during brumation when temperatures are comparatively more steady.
• Due to a major slowdown in metabolism, they can go for weeks or even months without eating.
  Reptiles are able to minimize their resource requirements and conserve energy during this phase of decreased activity.
• Box turtles and painted turtles, which burrow into the muck at the bottom of ponds and lakes, are examples of species that exhibit brumation. While lizards may conceal themselves behind rocks or among foliage, snakes may take sanctuary in caverns or underground burrows.

CITIZENSHIP AMENDMENT ACT (CAA)

• The Citizenship Amendment Act will be put into effect before to the 2024 Lok Sabha election, according to recent remarks made by Home Minister Amit Shah.
  
  Context:
  After being first proposed in 2016, the CAA had multiple parliamentary hearings. The Citizenship Act was changed by this 2019 legislation.
  About CAA:
  
  
• The Indian Parliament passed the Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019 (CAA) on December 11, 2019.
• The CAA aims to facilitate the naturalization process for Indian nationals for those who have been persecuted in neighboring nations.
• The Citizenship measure of 1955 was modified by this measure.
• For undocumented immigrants who arrived in India before December 31, 2014, there is the CAA.
• It includes refugees from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan.
• It specifically helps people who practice Buddhism, Jainism, Parsi, Hinduism, Sikhism, and Christianity.
• These nations’ Muslims are not eligible for this under CAA.
• A foreign national who enters the nation without a valid passport or visa, or who comes with a legitimate document but remains longer than allowed, is considered an illegal migrant under the Citizenship Act of 1955.
• The Foreigners Act of 1946 and the Passport Act of 1920 do not apply to the members of the six communities, as per the Amendment. The Passport Act of 1920 and the Foreigners Act of 1946 outline the penalties for entering the nation unlawfully and remaining here after valid visas and permissions have expired.
• One of the conditions for obtaining citizenship by naturalization under The Citizenship Act, 1955 is that the applicant must have lived in India for 11 of the preceding 14 years in addition to the recent 12 months.
• As a special need for applicants from these six religions (Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi, and Christian) and the aforementioned three nations (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan), the modification lowers the second requirement from 11 years to 5 years.

Indias relationship with UAE

• From February 13 to 14, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to make an official visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
  
  Context:
  
  PM Modi is making his third trip to the UAE in the past eight months and his seventh overall since 2015.India’s relationship with the United Arab Emirates has developed quickly, rising to the top of New Delhi’s bilateral partnerships.
  
  About India- UAE relationship:
  
  
• UAE has developed into one of India’s most significant strategic allies and pillars of the country’s involvement in the Gulf.
• With a growth in bilateral trade to $85 billion in 2022–2023, India now ranks second in terms of export destinations and the UAE as its third-largest trading partner.
• Additionally, USE is India’s fourth-largest overall investor.
• Signed on February 18, 2022, the India-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement intends to grow trade in services to $115 billion in five years.
• A bilateral investment treaty between India and the United Arab Emirates was accepted for signature and ratification on February 1, 2024, by the Indian government. This development will greatly increase bilateral economic ties, particularly in the areas of manufacturing and foreign direct investment.
• Since August 2019, the RuPay card—a crucial part of India’s Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI)—has been recognized in the United Arab Emirates.
• The rupee was accepted for payments at Dubai’s airports as of July 2023.
• When the Indian Oil Corporation paid the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company in rupees for the import of crude oil in August 2023, both India and the UAE operationalized a rupee-dirham settlement mechanism.
• India can also rely on the UAE as a reliable energy security partner.
• Among the few countries that received a special invitation to the September 2023 G-20 meeting, which India will chair, is the United Arab Emirates.
• The UAE established a consulate in Hyderabad in June 2023, and the IIT Delhi Abu Dhabi campus has been built.
  
  Convergence of interest visible through groupings:
  
  
• Both nations collaborate closely within the region and are a part of several significant alliances, including the I2U2 or the West Asian Quad, which is made up of the United States, the United Arab Emirates, Israel, and India.
• The Middle East-European Economic Corridor (IMEEC) infrastructure project includes the United Arab Emirates as well.