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One Liners 17-02-2026
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History, Art and Culture
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Herath (Shivaratri in Kashmir)
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Festival – Herath, celebrated by Kashmiri Pandits (displaced and those still in Kashmir).
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Tradition – Unique to Kashmir—Pandits prepare mutton and fish dishes.
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Past Brotherhood – Hindus gave walnuts to Muslim neighbours; Muslims reciprocated with lotus stems (nadru) on Nowruz, symbolizing shared culture.
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Current Situation – Walnut-sharing rare now due to 1990s migration.
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Celebrations – Pandits thronged Srinagar temples (Hanuman, Sharika Devi, Sankaracharya).
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Sentiment – Nostalgic recollections of harmony shared by elders and on social media.
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Geography
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Annual Streamflow
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Period – 1980–2021.
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Methodology –
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Used a high-resolution, physics-based hydrological model.
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Factors included – Rainfall, groundwater, river flow, irrigation pumping.
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Indus Basin Trends
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Overall streamflow – Modest increase (~8% over four decades).
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Main drivers – Rising precipitation (Western Disturbances, variable monsoon.)
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Strongest increases – Indus, Jhelum, Chenab rivers.
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Declines – Ravi and Sutlej (eastern tributaries).
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Ganga Basin Trends
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Streamflow – Sharp and sustained decline (~17% reduction)
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Rainfall – Decreased by ~10%
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Temperatures & atmospheric water demand – Increased
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Dominant factor – Intensive groundwater pumping for irrigation.
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Social Issues
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Urban Challenge Fund (UCF)
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Polity & Governance
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Delhi’s Bhu-Aadhaar Scheme
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Initiative under – Ministry of Home and Urban Affairs.
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Implementation – Revenue Department’s IT division with support from Survey of India.
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Objective – To create a digital land map of the city.
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Technology – Drone surveys and high-resolution imaging.
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Identification – Each land parcel gets a 14-digit ULPIN; owners receive a Bhu-Aadhaar card.
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Benefits – Safeguards property rights, curbs corruption, prevents disputes, simplifies ownership verification, enables departmental data coordination, and reduces fraudulent transactions.
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Background – Part of the Digital India Land Records Modernization Programme (DILRMP), introduced in 2016; pilot completed in Tilangpur Kotla village
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Economy
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2G bioethanol plant
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It is the World’s 1st commercial-scale 2G bioethanol plant using bamboo as feedstock.
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Location – Numaligarh, Assam.
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Company – Assam Bio Ethanol Private Limited (ABEPL), a joint venture of Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL), Chempolis Oy (Finland), and Fortum.
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Investment – Rs.4,930 crore.
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Feedstock – Requires 5 lakh metric tonnes of bamboo annually.
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Output
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Produces 49,000 metric tonnes of ethanol annually.
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By-products – Furfural, acetic acid, liquid CO₂, bio-coal.
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Significance
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Made from non-food farm waste/residue.
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More sustainable with a lower carbon footprint.
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Ensures food security (unlike 1G ethanol from food crops).
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Environment
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Bio-based Chemicals
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Definition – Bio-based chemicals derived from biological feedstocks such as sugarcane, corn, starch, and biomass residues.
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Processes – Typically produced through fermentation or enzymatic methods.
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Bio-based enzymes – Naturally sourced enzymes (from microbes/plants) applied in biofuels, food processing, textiles; e.g., amylases in brewing, cellulases in biofuel production.
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Examples – It includes organic acids (e.g., lactic acid), bio-alcohols, solvents, surfactants, and intermediates used in plastics, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals.
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Significance – Both reduce environmental impact, support sustainable industrial processes, and provide alternatives to fossil fuel–based chemicals.
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India’s Position in Bio-Based Chemicals and Enzymes
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Strengths – Large agricultural base, strong fermentation expertise (pharma, vaccines), expanding manufacturing sector.
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Policy – Prioritized under the Department of Biotechnology’s BioE3 policy.
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Key Players (Chemicals) – Praj Industries, Godrej Industries, Godavari Biorefineries, Jubilant Ingrevia, StringBio.
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Key Players (Enzymes) – Novozymes India, DuPont, DSM, Advance Enzyme Technologies.
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Market – Enzymes sector is consolidated, with top players holding over 75% market share.
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‘Anupam’ Decentralized Waste Management Model
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Anupam means – “incomparable”.
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Implemented by – New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC).
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Objective – To decentralize waste management and promote sustainable urban living.
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Key Features
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Source segregation -Wet, dry, and sanitary waste separated.
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On-site composting - Wet & horticultural waste composted in parks/green belts.
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Dry waste - Sorted and sent to recyclers.
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E-waste - Sent to CPCB-authorised recyclers.
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Reduced transport - Wet waste no longer sent to NDMC plants.
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Community involvement - Awareness drives, RWA meetings, penalties for mixed waste.
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Dedicated staff - Sanitation inspectors and NDMC staff for composting & mechanised cleaning.
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Pilot Project
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Science
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Inhaled Nitric Oxide for Drug-Resistant Pneumonia
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Problem
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Research Conducted by – Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School.
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Discovery – High-dose inhaled nitric oxide (NO) reduced drug-resistant P. aeruginosa in a large-animal ICU model.
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Nitric Oxide Use
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Naturally produced in the human body.
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Traditionally used at low doses (20–80 ppm) in neonatal care to widen blood vessels.
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Study tested much higher doses (300 ppm) for antimicrobial activity.
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Animal Study (Pigs) – 16 ventilated pigs with multidrug-resistant P. aeruginosa pneumonia.
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Treated animals showed –
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99% lower bacterial counts in lungs.
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Improved oxygenation and lung function.
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Evidence that NO helps restore chemical signalling in infected lungs.
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Epibatidine
Five European states concluded Alexei Navalny was killed using epibatidine, a rare poison dart frog toxin, directly implicating the Russian state.
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