Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)

1. India has raised objections to the inclusion of the hazardous insecticide Chlorpyrifos under the Convention for global phase-out in 2021.
2. Chlorpyrifos is widely used in Indian agriculture, particularly for pest control in crops like cotton and rice.

Background of the Convention

1. The Stockholm Convention was formally adopted in 2001 and came into force in 2004.
2. It is a global treaty aimed at addressing the threat of Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs).

Objective of the Convention

1. The core objective is to safeguard human health and the environment from harmful chemical substances.
2. It focuses on regulating substances that are toxic, long-lasting, and bioaccumulative in ecosystems and food chains.

Understanding POPs (Persistent Organic Pollutants)

1. POPs are carbon-based organic compounds that resist environmental degradation.
2. They persist for long periods, accumulate in fatty tissues, and biomagnify up the food chain.
3. These substances pose serious risks to both human and wildlife health even at low concentrations.

Key Features of the Convention

The Convention maintains a dynamic list of harmful chemicals, categorized into three annexes:

1. Annex A: For elimination of listed chemicals.
2. Annex B: For chemicals allowed under restricted use.
3. Annex C: For substances requiring reduction of unintentional releases.

India’s Role and Position

1. India has signed and ratified the Stockholm Convention, reaffirming its commitment to global chemical safety.
2. However, India continues to oppose the listing of Chlorpyrifos, citing agricultural dependency and lack of viable alternatives.
3. The decision reflects India’s balancing act between environmental obligations and national agricultural needs.

Mendelian Inheritance: Rediscovering the Roots of Genetics

1. Scientists have recently identified the specific genes responsible for the last three traits in peas originally studied by Gregor Johann Mendel.
2. Mendel is widely regarded as the father of modern genetics for his foundational work on hereditary principles.
3. He conducted experiments by cross-breeding around 28,000 garden pea plants to investigate how traits are passed from one generation to the next.
4. His observations focused on features such as seed shape, seed color, pod shape, pod color, among others.

Objective of Mendel’s Experiments

1. Mendel aimed to uncover the underlying mechanism through which traits are inherited in living organisms.
2. He selected pea plants (Pisum sativum) due to their easily distinguishable traits, short lifecycle, and ease of controlled pollination.

What is Mendelian Inheritance?

1. Mendelian inheritance refers to the method of genetic transmission of traits from parents to offspring through discrete units called genes.
2. This approach laid the foundation for understanding how traits are passed and how genetic variation arises.

Mendel’s Three Laws of Inheritance

1. Law of Dominance
   1. In a cross between two organisms with contrasting traits, only the dominant trait appears in the offspring of the first generation (F1).
   2. The recessive trait is masked but reappears in the second generation (F2).
2. Law of Segregation
   1. Each organism carries two alleles for every trait, which separate during gamete formation, ensuring that each gamete carries only one allele.
   2. This ensures that traits do not blend but are inherited independently from each parent.
3. Law of Independent Assortment
   1. Genes controlling different traits are assorted independently of one another during the formation of gametes.
   2. This law explains how the inheritance of one trait does not influence the inheritance of another, promoting genetic diversity.