Prelims Nuggets

Digital Gold or E-gold 

• The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has publicly cautioned the general public against investing in digital gold or e-gold products.
• The popularity of digital gold has surged due to a steep rise in gold prices and the convenience/ease of owning gold digitally through online platforms.
• Digital Gold – It is the process of buying gold without physically possessing the precious metal.
  • The price of digital gold is linked to that of physical gold.
  • Often created using blockchain technology to allow investors to buy, sell, and store gold electronically.
  • Can be converted into physical gold (coins, bars, or jewellery) whenever required.
• Risks and Lack of Protection :
  • Regulatory Status: SEBI states that digital gold is different from gold-related products it regulates. They are neither notified as securities nor regulated as commodity derivatives.
  • No Investor Protection: None of the investor protection mechanisms under the securities market purview are available for such investments.
  • Ease of Entry (Double-Edged): Unlike regulated products like Gold ETFs and commodity derivatives, investing in digital gold does not require a demat account or margin deposits, which drives investor interest but bypasses regulatory checks.
  • Promoters: Both organised and unorganised sector jewellers are providing opportunities for investment in digital gold.

How is it different from other gold investment options?

Great Indian Bustard

• The Great Indian Bustard (GIB), locally known as Godawan in Rajasthan, is one of the most critically endangered birds globally and is a flagship species for the health of India’s grassland ecosystems.
• IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered (CR).
• Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 (India): Schedule I.
• CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species): Appendix I.
• Prefers arid and semi-arid grasslands and scrublands with minimal visual obstruction and disturbance.
• It is endemic to Indian subcontinent.
  • Historically found across 11 states in India and parts of Pakistan. Today, its population is confined mostly to Rajasthan (Desert National Park is a stronghold) and Gujarat. Small, scattered populations also exist in Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh.
• It is a very large bird, among the heaviest flying birds in the world, standing about one meter (3.3 feet) tall. It is easily distinguished by its black crown on a pale head and neck.
• Reproduction Rate: A significant factor in its decline is its slow reproductive rate.
  • The female typically lays a single egg per breeding season (usually during the monsoon, March-September).
  • She incubates the egg in a shallow, unlined scrape on the open ground.
  • Only the female is involved in incubation and parental care, which lasts until the next breeding season (almost a year).
• Diet : Omnivorous and Opportunistic (feeds on whatever is available). Feeds on grass seeds, berries, insects (like grasshoppers and beetles), small rodents, and small reptiles. It is considered a “Friend of the Farmer” as it controls insect and rodent populations.
• Mating Behavior (Lekking): The GIB is polygamous, and males engage in an elaborate courtship display called lekking to attract females.
  • The male performs a striking visual display, including fluffing its white neck feathers and inflating a gular pouch (neck pouch).
  • The inflated pouch helps produce a deep, resonant, booming call that can be heard up to 500 meters away.
• Social Structure: Males are generally solitary, but the birds may congregate in small flocks during the winter months after the monsoon breeding season.
• Flagship Species: It is considered the “umbrella species” of the Indian grassland ecosystem, meaning conservation efforts aimed at the GIB benefit all other species in the grassland habitat.
• Collision/Electrocution with Power Lines: Due to their poor frontal vision and heavy weight, they are unable to spot or maneuver away from high-tension electric wires, leading to a high rate of mortality.
• Hunting/Poaching: Although protected, it remains a threat, especially in border areas and Pakistan.

Lesser Florican

• The Lesser Florican , also known as the Likh or Kharmore, is an incredibly important and highly threatened bird species endemic to the Indian Subcontinent.
• IUCN Red List Status : Critically Endangered (CR)
• Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 (India) : Schedule I

Plastic Recycling

Factors Affecting Plastic Recycling

• Thermoplastics (Recyclable):
  • They soften when heated and harden when cooled (e.g., PET in water bottles, HDPE in milk jugs).
  • This property allows them to be successfully melted, filtered, and reshaped with limited damage.
• Thermosets (Not Recyclable by Normal Methods):
  • They form permanent chemical bonds when first made (e.g., epoxy resins, some rubber parts).
  • They crack instead of melting when heated, making standard heat-based recycling impossible.
• Contaminants Weaken Product: Even within thermoplastics, recycling depends on the material’s purity.
  • Weakening Agents: Labels, food residues, dyes, fillers, flame retardants, and plasticisers change how the melted plastic flows and weaken the final recycled product.
• Multilayer Packaging: Combining different polymers (e.g., PET, polyethylene, and aluminum) creates layers that are hard to separate, often rendering the item non-recyclable.
• Recycling Must Be Profitable: Recycling only occurs when there is a steady demand for the recycled pellets to offset the costs of collecting, sorting, washing, and remelting.
  • Established Waste Streams: Waste streams for bottles and jugs are typically large and clean, with established buyers.
  • Challenging Materials: Many films, foams, and mixed plastics lack established buyers and viable, cost-effective waste streams.
• Chemical Recycling: Newer methods can theoretically break polymers into simpler molecules.
• Current Limitations: These methods are energy-intensive and are not yet broadly deployed in practice.

Plastic Resin Identification Codes and Recyclability

• The numbers you often see inside the triangular “chasing arrows” symbol on plastic products are called Resin Identification Codes (RIC). These codes identify the type of plastic polymer used, but they do not automatically mean the item is recyclable in your local program.

Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana (PMVBRY)