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The Hindu
a day ago
- Science
- The Hindu
Researchers ‘rediscover' lost hexapod species described from the Nilgiris
A species of hexapod originally described from the Nilgiris close to a century ago, with even the original 'holotype' specimen being lost, was 'rediscovered' recently, with the complete mitochondrial DNA of the species – Ballistura fitchoides, being characterised by researchers at the Molecular Biodiversity Lab at the Government Arts College in Udhagamandalam. 'J. R. Dennis, a French scientist, in 1933 identified a rare species of springtail (Collembolla) insect from the Devarshola near Gudalur in Nilgiris. The taxonomy of this group is highly complex and has undergone many revisions. He named it Ballistura fitchi. Until now only two species of Ballistura are reported from India; the second one is from Bengal (Ballistura bengalensis by Yosii 1966)... He (Dennis) got only one or two individuals, and to make a clear description, he renamed it as Ballistura fitchoides in 1944 under the fitchi group. He deposited the specimens in the Musée National des Sciences Naturelles in Paris. Regrettably, the specimen vanished from the Musée National des Sciences Naturelles, leaving the world without any specimens of this species,' said R. Sanil one of the authors of the paper titled 'Description of Ballistura fitchioides (Collembola; Isotomidae) from the Wayanad, Kerala, India with its mitogenome.' R. Sanil, an associate professor from the Department of Zoology at Government Arts College in Udhagamandalam and head of the Molecular Biodiversity Lab in Udhagamandalam, along with his research students Anjooriya Jose and Narmadha S., worked with Dr. Mandal from the Zoological Survey of India in Kolkata and Dr. J. I. Arabea from Spain to discover the species again. They discovered a specimen at Kolavayal in Wayanad district, Kerala, about 35km from Devarshola in Tamil Nadu. As the original specimen (holotype – a single type specimen used to describe a species) has been lost, this specimen is called 'neotype,' and it was obtained from decomposing plantain waste accidentally, noted Mr. Sanil. Though 21 species are recorded throughout the world, genetic data of this genus are not available. The research team successfully characterised the complete mitochondrial DNA of this species, which is a promising discovery that can shed light on solving the taxonomical complexity of the genera, the researchers noted. Mr. Sanil told The Hindu characterising mitochondrial DNA was extremely difficult, especially from specimens as small as a hexapod. 'Till now, there is almost no genetic data accumulated about Ballistura species anywhere in the world. It is a matter of great pride that a small research lab in The Nilgiris, with limited funding has managed to accomplish this feat despite the challenges,' added Mr. Sanil, who is also the Principal of the to be constructed Government Arts and Science College in Coonoor. He also noted that the lead author, Ms. Anjooriya Jose is from an Adivasi community in Wayanad, who is currently selected as a Project Scientist in the Zoological Survey of India, Chennai.
The Hindu
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Concerns arise over expansion of Theppakadu Elephant Camp in the Nilgiris
Conservationists and elephant experts have voiced their concern over the continued development of the Theppakadu Elephant Camp in the core area of the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR). They are of the view that that the recent setting up of a township for 44 mahouts and their families, as well as plans to expand the camp itself into a 'world-class facility' may impact wildlife within the reserve. In a 2014 paper 'Prioritizing Elephant Corridors in Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, Tamil Nadu,' authors K. Kannan, P.S. Jayakumar Thampy, Arunachalam, and B. Ramakrishnan write: 'The Theppakadu-Mandradiyar Corridor is situated in the southeastern part of MTR. It is a crucial elephant corridor that connects Mudumalai and Bandipur tiger reserves to the east of the former and also the Sigur Plateau. Moyar Gorge in the northern side and Morgan Betta in the southern side naturally constrict this corridor. Theppakadu tribal settlements, the forest elephant camp, and lodges are at the exact centre of the corridor, naturally preventing the free movement of elephants.' During Chief Minister M.K. Stalin's visit to Theppakadu camp last month, he told reporters that there were plans to further improve the facility, stating that the new developments would be announced in due time. This was after he inaugurated the township for mahouts. An elephant expert, who wished to remain anonymous, told The Hindu: 'The sudden expansion of the camp could sever the connectivity that allows elephants to move freely between Mudumalai's core and buffer zones, as well as Bandipur.' However, Mr. Ramakrishnan, one of the authors of the 2014 paper, the head of the department of wildlife biology at the Government Arts College in Udhagamandalam, and a member of the International Union for Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) Asian elephant specialist group, disagrees with conservationists' concern over the camp's development severing elephant pathways. 'As per notifications, all four corridors within MTR are located only in the buffer zones and none are in the core area. There are five to six other points between Theppakadu and Thorapalli where elephants are known to cross the Moyar,' he said. But conservationists reiterated that corridors within core areas had been left out of notified elephant corridors precisely because they were believed to have already been 'secured' due to being in a highly protected area of the MTR core. 'Moreover, when there have been clampdowns on the construction of private resorts in the MTR buffer zone, it seems contradictory for the government to set up a township in the core area and ponder upgrading the elephant camp,' said a conservationist from the Nilgiris, adding that while the Supreme Court had ordered for illegal structures within the tiger reserve to be demolished, the government seemed to have free reign to construct structures at the elephant camp. Another conservation and landscape ecologist said, 'The core area is the most precious habitat for the elephant. The new constructions have ignored the fact that the site was in the core area of the elephant population and in the most important corridor in south India. How is it possible to reduce habitat and increase the human footprint at a reserve, when the Bandipur Tiger Reserve has set an example by building new facilities outside its protected area?' 'The Theppakadu camp and the mahout village should be shifted to the periphery of the core zone like in Thorapalli. This way, mahouts can have better access to services, and tourism facilities can also be developed. Such intense human presence in Theppakadu creates a bottleneck in the elephant corridor connecting Bandipur and Mudumalai. It increases disturbance to wildlife, pollution, and noise, while the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has also clearly laid out plans to phase out tourism from within the core areas of the reserve,' he added. Rules exist for development projects to be undertaken with permissions from different regulatory bodies. 'The rules are even stricter for development within the core areas of tiger reserves, where permissions have to be obtained from the NTCA,' said a prominent Tamil Nadu-based conservationist. 'As a general rule, concrete structures should be kept to a minimum within protected areas, particularly tiger reserves. Moreover, the pressures arising out of such activities and associated infrastructure will only be detrimental to wildlife and biodiversity,' he added. When contacted, R. Kiruba Shankar, Field Director of MTR, said the Forest Department did not need permission from the NTCA for the construction of houses, since these are for staff involved in the daily protection of the tiger reserve. He said houses were constructed near existing ones, and it had no major impact on wildlife movement in the area. 'The electric fencing put up around the site is only for the protection of people living there,' he said, adding that there are no plans to build any concrete structures to further improve the camp. 'Right now, the plans only involve some temporary structures,' he said, adding that the department would approach the NTCA for relevant permissions before taking up any further development at the camp.
Hans India
4 days ago
- General
- Hans India
Protect saplings to benefit future generations
Rajamahendravaram: As part of World Environment Day celebrations, a major initiative to plant 4 lakh saplings across the district has been launched, district collector P Prasanthi announced on Thursday. She called on everyone to protect these saplings for the benefit of future generations. The main event was held at the Government Arts College campus in Rajahmundry under the aegis of the Forest Department, where the district collector participated as the chief guest. Chief Conservator of Forests BNN Murthy and other senior officials were also present. Speaking on the occasion, collector Prasanthi said the critical impact of climate change, stating that even a two-degree rise in global temperatures could severely disrupt human life. ' The saplings we plant today will grow into mighty trees in 20 years and benefit future generations,' she said. She also urged the public to reduce plastic usage, citing its harmful effects on the environment. MLA Adireddy Srinivas, addressing the gathering, said the coalition government has set a goal of planting one crore saplings across the state to enhance green cover and fight climate change. Municipal Commissioner Ketan Garg warned about the severe environmental damage caused by single-use plastics. He informed that five special enforcement teams consisting entirely of women have been deployed to inspect various warehouses and localities in the city. These teams will seize 10,000 metric tonnes of single-use plastic, he added. Chief Conservator of Forests BNN Murthy noted that the increasing use of plastic is causing drastic changes in the environment. He said that microplastics are entering the human bloodstream through widespread plastic consumption. DFO Srinivas, District School Education Officer K Vasudeva Rao, District Agriculture Officer S Madhava Rao, and District Tribal Welfare Officer KN Jyothi participated in this meeting.
The Hindu
5 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Conservationists raise concern over expansion of Theppakadu Elephant Camp
Conservationists and elephant experts have voiced their concern over the continued development of the Theppakadu Elephant Camp in the core area of the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR). They are of the view that that the recent setting up of a township for 44 mahouts and their families, as well as plans to expand the camp itself into a 'world-class facility' may impact wildlife within the reserve. In a 2014 paper 'Prioritizing Elephant Corridors in Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, Tamil Nadu,' authors K. Kannan, P.S. Jayakumar Thampy, Arunachalam, and B. Ramakrishnan write: 'The Theppakadu-Mandradiyar Corridor is situated in the southeastern part of MTR. It is a crucial elephant corridor that connects Mudumalai and Bandipur tiger reserves to the east of the former and also the Sigur Plateau. Moyar Gorge in the northern side and Morgan Betta in the southern side naturally constrict this corridor. Theppakadu tribal settlements, the forest elephant camp, and lodges are at the exact centre of the corridor, naturally preventing the free movement of elephants.' During Chief Minister M.K. Stalin's visit to Theppakadu camp last month, he told reporters that there were plans to further improve the facility, stating that the new developments would be announced in due time. This was after he inaugurated the township for mahouts. An elephant expert, who wished to remain anonymous, told The Hindu: 'The sudden expansion of the camp could sever the connectivity that allows elephants to move freely between Mudumalai's core and buffer zones, as well as Bandipur.' However, Mr. Ramakrishnan, one of the authors of the 2014 paper, the head of the department of wildlife biology at the Government Arts College in Udhagamandalam, and a member of the International Union for Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) Asian elephant specialist group, disagrees with conservationists' concern over the camp's development severing elephant pathways. 'As per notifications, all four corridors within MTR are located only in the buffer zones and none are in the core area. There are five to six other points between Theppakadu and Thorapalli where elephants are known to cross the Moyar,' he said. But conservationists reiterated that corridors within core areas had been left out of notified elephant corridors precisely because they were believed to have already been 'secured' due to being in a highly protected area of the MTR core. 'Moreover, when there have been clampdowns on the construction of private resorts in the MTR buffer zone, it seems contradictory for the government to set up a township in the core area and ponder upgrading the elephant camp,' said a conservationist from the Nilgiris, adding that while the Supreme Court had ordered for illegal structures within the tiger reserve to be demolished, the government seemed to have free reign to construct structures at the elephant camp. Another conservation and landscape ecologist said, 'The core area is the most precious habitat for the elephant. The new constructions have ignored the fact that the site was in the core area of the elephant population and in the most important corridor in south India. How is it possible to reduce habitat and increase the human footprint at a reserve, when the Bandipur Tiger Reserve has set an example by building new facilities outside its protected area?' 'The Theppakadu camp and the mahout village should be shifted to the periphery of the core zone like in Thorapalli. This way, mahouts can have better access to services, and tourism facilities can also be developed. Such intense human presence in Theppakadu creates a bottleneck in the elephant corridor connecting Bandipur and Mudumalai. It increases disturbance to wildlife, pollution, and noise, while the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has also clearly laid out plans to phase out tourism from within the core areas of the reserve,' he added. Rules exist for development projects to be undertaken with permissions from different regulatory bodies. 'The rules are even stricter for development within the core areas of tiger reserves, where permissions have to be obtained from the NTCA,' said a prominent Tamil Nadu-based conservationist. 'As a general rule, concrete structures should be kept to a minimum within protected areas, particularly tiger reserves. Moreover, the pressures arising out of such activities and associated infrastructure will only be detrimental to wildlife and biodiversity,' he added. When contacted, R. Kiruba Shankar, Field Director of MTR, said the Forest Department did not need permission from the NTCA for the construction of houses, since these are for staff involved in the daily protection of the tiger reserve. He said houses were constructed near existing ones, and it had no major impact on wildlife movement in the area. 'The electric fencing put up around the site is only for the protection of people living there,' he said, adding that there are no plans to build any concrete structures to further improve the camp. 'Right now, the plans only involve some temporary structures,' he said, adding that the department would approach the NTCA for relevant permissions before taking up any further development at the camp.
New Indian Express
6 days ago
- Business
- New Indian Express
Tamil, computer science courses emerge favourite choices in TN's Tiruchy government arts colleges
TIRUCHY: Government arts and science colleges in Tiruchy have witnessed a record surge in applications for UG courses for academic year 2025-2026, with over 1.9 lakh students vying for limited seats across five institutions. On Monday, the first day of admission counselling, Tamil, Computer Science, and Commerce emerged as the sought-after courses, reflecting a shift in student aspirations shaped by government job dreams and job-oriented training programmes. The Thanthai Periyar Government Arts and Science College received 1,00,617 applications for just 1,600 seats, which is a steep 15% increase from last year's 87,534, and nearly double from 54,004 applications received in 2023. This year, a maximum of 9,301 students applied for admission to Tamil. Computer Science and Commerce received 8,231 and 8,130 applications respectively. In Thiruverumbur's Government Arts College, a similar pattern is evident. At Srirangam Government Arts and Science College, the trend tilts toward career-focused streams. The college has only 470 seats, making competition stiff. The Government Arts and Science College in Kumulur, Lalgudi Taluk, has also seen applications rise from 11,000 last year to 18,642 this year.
