Black Soft shell Turtle
- The rare turtle species are being bred in the ponds of Assam’s shrines.
- India hosts 28 species of turtles, of which 20 are found in Assam.
- Recently black softshells hatchings were released into the Haduk Beel (wetland) of Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary, Assam.
- The black softshell turtle (Nilssonia nigricans) figures in the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List as “extinct in the wild”.
- It is a freshwater turtle that is found in India and Bangladesh.
- Consumption of turtle meat and eggs, silt mining, encroachment of wetlands and change in flooding pattern have had a disastrous impact on the State’s turtle population
POWERGRID
- The 220 kV Srinagar- Alusteng - Drass- Kargil – Leh Transmission System construction was completed by POWERGRID.
- The transmission line would ensure quality power supply to Ladakh round the year.
- POWERGRID is a Navratna Company of Government of India, under Ministry of Power.
- POWERGRID is one of the World’s Largest Power Transmission Utility.
- In 1989 under the Companies Act, 1956, the National Power Transmission Corporation Limited was formed, and assigned the responsibility of planning, executing, owning, operating and maintaining the high voltage transmission systems in the country.
- In October 1992, the National Power Transmission Corporations name was changed to Power Grid Corporation of India Limited.
Soft –Landing on the moon
- Soviet’s Luna 9 was the first to achieve soft landing on the moon.
- Soft-landing denotes the landing of a space vehicle on a celestial body or on Earth in such a way to prevent damage or destruction of the vehicle.
- In other words, it is a landing by a spacecraft on the moon or a planet at a sufficiently low velocity for the equipment or occupants to remain unharmed.
- Only three countries have ever soft-landed on the moon— the United States, the U.S.S.R. and China.
- The latest country to make the soft landing specifically in the far side of the moon is China by its Chang’e 3.
National Statistical Commission (NSC)
- The Government of India through a resolution in 2005 set up the National Statistical Commission (NSC).
- The setting up of the NSC followed the decision of the Cabinet to accept the recommendations of the Rangarajan Commission, which reviewed the Indian Statistical System in 2001.
- The NSC was constituted with a mandate to evolve policies, priorities and standards in statistical matters.
- NSC works under the Ministry of Statistics and Program Implementation.
- The NSC has four Members besides a Chairperson, each having specialization and experience in specified statistical fields.
- The Chief Statistician of India is the Secretary of the Commission
Arikamedu
- Arikamedu is the ancient Roman trade centre.
- It is situated in the south of Puducherry on the right bank of Ariyankuppam River.
- The port town was inhabited by Romans, Cholas and French.
- The exports must have included textile, beads, semiprecious gems, glass and shell bangles as wastage at the manufacturing site suggests.
- The Romans must have used the Red Sea to come to India as traces of beads have been found in Alexandria and other Red Sea ports.
Know My India Program
- The National Foundation for Communal Harmony (NFCH) organized a special workshop for 42 Youth who have been victims of communal violence in the past, under the Know My India Program.
- Know My India Program is a unique program initiated by the National Foundation for Communal Harmony (NFCH) to bring together financially assisted children of the Foundation from different States/Regions of the country.
- The initiative is to promote oneness, fraternity and national integration.
- The program is all about familiarization with the environment, family life, social customs, etc. of the people living in different parts of the country.
- It aids in developing an understanding of the common historical and cultural heritage of the country.
National Foundation for Communal Harmony (NFCH)
- The NFCH is an autonomous organization under the administrative control of the Ministry of Home Affairs.
- The main objective of the Foundation is to provide assistance to the children, youth rendered orphan and destitute in communal, caste, ethnic or terrorist violence for their rehabilitation.
- It also promotes communal harmony and national integration through various activities.
- The NFCH conducts different activities for the promotion of communal harmony and strengthening of national integration.
- The Foundation under Extension Activities viz. Reach, Interfaith Interaction, Partnership and Cause Partnership takes up various activities, either independently or through State Governments/ Administrations, NGOs, educational and other institutions etc. with a view to promote communal harmony and National integration.
Source: PIB, The Hindu, Indian Express
Author: Shankar IAS Civitl Service Academy Bangalore
