Orchids
Environment and ecology
- Three life forms Orchids can be broadly categorised into three life forms:
- epiphytic (plants growing on another plants including those growing on rock boulders and often termed lithophyte),
- terrestrial (plants growing on land and climbers) and
- mycoheterotrophic (plants which derive nutrients from mycorrhizal fungi that are attached to the roots of a vascular plant).
- About 60% of all orchids found in the country, which is 757 species, are epiphytic, 447 are terrestrial and 43 are mycoheterotrophic.
- The epiphytic orchids are abundant up to 1800 m above the sea level and their occurrence decreases with the increase in altitude.
- Terrestrial orchids, which grow directly on soil, are found in large numbers in temperate and alpine region.
- Mycoheterotrophic orchids, mostly associated with ectomycorrhizal fungi, are found in temperate regions, or are found growing with parasites in tropical regions.
- Himalayas, North-East parts of the country and Western Ghats are the hot-spots of the orchids.
- The highest number of orchid species is recorded from Arunachal Pradesh with 612 species, followed by Sikkim 560 species and West Bengal; Darjeeling Himalayas have also high species concentration, with 479 species.
- While north-east India rank at the top in species concentration, the Western Ghats have high endemism of orchids.
- There are 388 species of orchids, which are endemic to India of which about one-third (128) endemic species are found in Western Ghats.
- Among the 10 bio geographic zones of India, the Himalayan zone is the richest in terms of orchid species followed by Northeast, Western Ghats, Deccan plateau and Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
- Orchids have complex floral structure that facilitates biotic cross-pollination and makes them evolutionarily superior to the other plant groups.
- Entire orchid family is listed under appendix II of CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) and hence any trade of wild orchid is banned globally.
Chandrayaan-2
Sc/tech
- Indian lunar mission- Chandrayaan-2-is to take its first step towards touching the moon.
- It will consist of a leggy lander -Vikram- and a six-wheeled rover-Pragyan.
- The mission will hunt for minerals and water ice deposits that Chandrayaan-1 confirmed.
- Chandrayaan-2’s journey will last about 52 days.
- When it lands on the moon, Chandrayaan-2 will make India the fourth country to safely land on lunar terrain.
- No space agency has landed on the south pole of the moon to date, making the landing spot also historic.
Law Commission
Polity
- With the country left without a Law Commission since September 2018, the Law Ministry has initiated the process of setting up the body.
- The commission gives advice to the government on complex legal issues.
- The three-year term of the 21st Law Commission ended on August 31 last year.
- The Cabinet approves reconstitution of the law panel for a period of three years.
- It is usually headed by a former Supreme Court judge or a former Chief Justice of a High Court.
Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary (VGDS)
Environment and ecology
- Restricting the speeds of vessels and blowing sirens and horns is how the Ministry of Shipping plans to safeguard the population of the Ganges River Dolphin.
- The above plan is to be executed in the country’s one dolphin reserve through which National Waterway-1 connecting Haldia to Varanasi passes.
- The Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary (VGDS), from Sultanganj to Kahalganj on the Ganga in Bihar is the only dolphin sanctuary in the country
- Vessel speed would be restricted to 2.7 knots in Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary (VGDS) area to reduce the noise generation from propeller.
- lf any aquatic mammal/dolphin is spotted, then the measures will be taken to push it away through sirens/signals.
