Prelims Oriented
Zinc-Ion Batteries (ZIBs)
Context
- A Bengaluru-based DST institute (CeNS) has developed a breakthrough cathode activation technique that significantly boosts zinc-ion battery (ZIB) performance.
About Zinc-Ion Batteries (ZIBs)
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- ZIBs are rechargeable aqueous batteries using zinc metal anode and water-based electrolyte.
- They offer a safer, eco-friendly alternative to lithium-ion batteries.
- Developed By
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- The advanced ZIB cathode was created by the Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences (CeNS), Bengaluru.
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- Aim
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- To develop a stable, high-energy-density, low-cost and environmentally safe battery system that avoids lithium-related risks like fire hazards, resource scarcity, and high prices.
How the Technology Works
- Researchers used a thermo-electrochemical activation process on V₂O₅ (vanadium oxide).
- This introduces defects and converts it to Zn-V₂O₅ with porous channels.
- The modified structure enables smooth transport of zinc ions and hydrogen ions.
- Result: faster ion movement, higher energy storage, and improved cycling stability.
Key Features
- Higher Energy Density: Zn-V₂O₅ delivers far greater storage than untreated V₂O₅.
- Exceptional Longevity: Sustains thousands of charge cycles with minimal decay.
- Hydrogen-ion Stabilisation: Ensures better structural stability during ion insertion.
- Fully Aqueous Electrolyte: Eliminates fire risk, unlike lithium systems.
- Low-Cost Materials: Relies on abundant zinc, avoiding lithium and cobalt.
Significance
- Provides a safe and eco-friendly energy-storage solution for grid systems and consumer devices.
- Reduces India’s import dependence on lithium and cobalt.
- Strengthens India’s clean-energy transition, renewable-integration capacity, and future electric-mobility ecosystem.
Mount Semeru
Context
- Mount Semeru, Indonesia’s tallest and most active volcano on Java Island, erupted violently, sending ash 13 km high and generating dangerous pyroclastic flows.
About Mount Semeru
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- Mount Semeru is an active stratovolcano and among Indonesia’s highest volcanic peaks.
- It has shown continuous low-level eruptions since 1967.
- Location
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- Situated in Eastern Java, Indonesia, at the southern part of the Tengger Volcanic Complex.
- Lies in a major subduction zone where the Indo-Australian Plate sinks beneath the Eurasian Plate.
- Key Features
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- Elevation: 3,676 metres.
- Lava Type: Predominantly andesitic.
- Has produced over 61 eruptive cycles since 1818.
- Frequently emits ash plumes, crater explosions, and pyroclastic density currents.
- Traditionally known as Mahameru (“Great Mountain”), referencing Hindu sacred Mount Meru/Sumeru.
- Surrounded by calderas, crater lakes, and highly volatile volcanic belts, forming one of Java’s most hazardous terrains.
Polymetallic Nodules (PMN)
What are Polymetallic Nodules?
- Polymetallic nodules, also known as manganese nodules, are rock-like mineral concretions formed by concentric layers of manganese and iron hydroxides around a central core.
- They occur over vast abyssal plains on or just below deep-sea sediments.
- Occurrence: Found across multiple depths, but most abundant between 4,000–6,000 metres.
- Size: Range from microscopic grains to nodules over 20 cm, though most measure 5–10 cm (potato-sized).
- Composition: Dominated by iron oxyhydroxides and manganese oxides, which absorb critical metals such as nickel, cobalt, copper, titanium, and rare earth elements (REEs).
Why PMN Exploration Matters for India
- Strategic Allocation by ISA
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- India has been granted 75,000 sq km in the Central Indian Ocean Basin (CIOB) by the UN International Seabed Authority (ISA) for PMN exploration.
- Metal Resource Estimates
- Preliminary surveys show 380 million metric tonnes (MMT) of nodules containing copper, nickel, cobalt, and manganese in the allocated area.
- The combined estimated value is around USD 110 billion.
- Polymetallic sulphides in nearby areas may also host rare earth minerals, gold, and silver.
- Long-term Energy and Economic Benefits
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- Utilising even 10% of the PMN reserves could meet India’s energy and strategic metal requirements for nearly 100 years.
- Critical minerals like cobalt and nickel are vital for batteries, clean energy technologies, and steel production.
India’s Initiatives on PMN Exploration
- The Ministry of Earth Sciences runs a long-term programme on PMN exploration and utilisation, covering surveys, environmental impact studies, deep-sea mining technology, and metallurgical extraction.
- The Government provides composite offshore licences under the Offshore Areas Mineral (Development and Regulation) Act, 2002 for resource assessment, exploration, commercial mining, and mineral offtake.
- Budgetary support for GSI, IBM, and NMET has been increased to strengthen mineral exploration, sustainable offshore mining, and large-scale geological projects.
Indian Pond Heron
Context: New citizen-science observations from Visakhapatnam indicate that Indian Pond Herons and Cattle Egrets may be undertaking seasonal movements along the eastern coast, reviving a 30-year-old migration puzzle first noted in Chennai.
About Indian Pond Heron (Ardeola grayii)
- Also called Paddybird, belonging to the family Ardeidae.
- A small, stocky heron with a short neck, thick bill, and buff-brown back.
- Exhibits maroon hair-like plumes and a long occipital crest during breeding season.
- Non-breeding plumage shifts to greyish-brown, offering camouflage in wetlands.
Habitat & Distribution
- Prefers shallow freshwater or saltwater wetlands, both natural and human-made.
- Distributed across Iran, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, and Sri Lanka.
Behaviour
- Typically solitary and secretive, often standing motionless near water to ambush prey.
- Semi-colonial breeder; forms communal roosts, even on urban roadside trees.
- Diet includes aquatic insects, crustaceans, tadpoles, small fish, and leeches.
Conservation Status
- IUCN: Least Concern.
- Wildlife Protection Act, 1972: Schedule IV.
Doctrine of Clean Hands
Context: The Delhi High Court recently held that the Clean Hands Doctrine cannot be used to deny relief to a petitioner who has proven cruelty, merely because of unverified counter-allegations.
What is the Doctrine of Clean Hands?
- A foundational equitable principle requiring litigants to approach courts with honesty, fairness, and full disclosure.
- A party acting in bad faith, fraud, misrepresentation, or suppression of facts is barred from seeking equitable relief.
- Rooted in the English Court of Chancery; expressed through the maxim: “He who seeks equity must do equity.”
Clean Hands in Indian Jurisprudence
- The Supreme Court repeatedly stresses that petitioners must come with complete, truthful disclosure.
- Suppression of material facts amounts to fraud on the court and abuse of legal process.
- Such conduct may lead to dismissal of petitions, exemplary costs, or even contempt, especially in writ petitions under Article 226 and SLPs under Article 136.
Bhoramdev Wildlife Sanctuary
Context: Two bisons were recently poached in the Chilfi East Range of Bhoramdev Sanctuary, Chhattisgarh.
About Bhoramdev Wildlife Sanctuary
- Located in Kawardha district, Chhattisgarh; notified in 2001.
- Forms part of the Maikal Range of the Satpuras, known for rich biodiversity.
- Lies within the Kanha–Achanakmar Corridor, connecting major tiger habitats.
Cultural Significance
- Named after the nearby Bhoramdeo Temple (7th–11th century), built by the Nagvanshi dynasty and known as the “Khajuraho of Chhattisgarh”.
Geography & Rivers
- Area: 352 sq km with forested hills, streams, and rolling terrain.
- Source region of the Fen and Sankari rivers.
Flora & Fauna
- Vegetation: Moist and dry deciduous forests.
- Key species: Tigers, leopards, sloth bears, deer species, and diverse birdlife.
- Dominant trees include Sal, Saaj, Tendu, and Nilgiri.
Tribal Presence
- Surrounding region is inhabited by Baiga, Gond, and Kanwar tribal communities.
