Prelims Nuggets

Umngot River

Also known as Wah Umngot, Dawki River and ‘floating on air’ River.
Location: Flows through the West Jaintia Hills district of Meghalaya.
- It forms a boundary between India and Bangladesh.
Fame: Famed for its picturesque crystal clear water, especially in the winter. Some sources also refer to it as Asia’s clearest river.
Significance: It is a major tourism asset and a “symbol of Meghalaya’s pristine natural heritage.”
Tourist Attractions: Locations along the river, such as Dawki and Shnongpdeng, are top tourist attractions in the state, central to the local economy during the peak season.

The Supreme Court on 3rd November said that the government can review and reassess Vodafone Idea’s (VI’s) adjusted gross revenue (AGR) dues up to the financial year 2016-17, including interest and penalties. This decision brings major relief to the financially struggling telecom operator.
What is AGR?
- AGR is the measure used to calculate the licence fees and spectrum charges telecom companies owe the government.
- There has been a long-standing dispute over the definition of AGR, with the government’s broad interpretation including non-telecom revenues like interest income and rent, while the telecom industry argues AGR should only be based on core telecom revenues.
Supreme Court’s 2019 verdict: Upheld the DoT’s definition, leading to massive retrospective dues for telecom companies and creating a significant financial strain on the sector.
Current context: Recent Supreme Court decisions have provided some relief, allowing policy reconsideration on certain AGR demands and giving the sector more time to pay dues.

2019 Regime Change: The 30-year regime of President Omar al-Bashir collapsed following a period of protest (symbolized by the viral image of the Sudanese woman).
Source of Instability: The conflict is primarily driven by “competing power-grab-bing attempts” between military factions.
2021 Coup: An interim civilian-military government was overthrown in 2021 by a coup led by two military generals who became rivals:
- Abdel Fattah al-Burhan: Head of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF).
- Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo: Head of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
Start of Civil War: A fallout occurred between the SAF and RSF due to disagreements on the role of the two forces, leading to the ongoing civil war.
Current UN Assessment: UN General Secretary Antonio Guterres stated the situation is “spiralling out of control.”
Recent Power Shift: The paramilitary RSF seized the city of el-Fasher in Darfur.
War Crimes Allegations: The RSF has been accused of targeting the Massalit and other non-Arab people and their recent advances have been accompanied by reports of “widespread executions.”

Web Decoration (Stabilimenta): Orb weaver spiders often add decorations, called stabilimenta, to their gauzy webs even after initial construction.
Composition: Stabilimenta are typically spun from silk, but sometimes they use bits of insect cadavers or shed exoskeleton.
Appearance: These are big, noticeable features that can look like zigzags, a scribbled disk, or a big “X” that marks the web’s center.
Example: Wasp spiders are a specific species of orb weaver found in Europe.
Purpose:
- Predator Distraction (Ample Support): Spiders reportedly vibrate the web to blur the stabilimenta before they escape through a hole or jump away.
- They may collect water.
- They may fool insects by reflecting UV light.
- Spiders detect prey through vibrations traveling along the silk threads.
- The study hypothesizes that stabilimenta could affect the speed and distance of these vibration signals.

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