Technical Textile
- Ministry of Textiles will hold National Conclave on Technical Textiles in Mumbai.
- Technical textiles are textile material and products manufactured primarily for technical performance and functional properties rather than aesthetic and decorative characteristics.
- They are used for automotive applications, medical usages, crop protection, protective clothing etc.
- They are also used in areas like agriculture, infrastructure, automotive, aerospace, sports, defense and packaging.
- They constitute 12-15% of the total textile value chain in India, whereas in some of the European countries they constitute 50% of the value chain.
- The industry is also import-intensive.
Satkosia Tiger Reserve
- It is being planned to use trained elephants to help ground-level forest guards to patrol deep in the forest of Satkosia Tiger Reserve.
- Satkosia spreads along the gorge over the river Mahanadi in Odisha.
- The area is also a part of the Mahanadi elephant reserve.
- Satkosia is the meeting point of two bio-geographic regions of India; the Deccan Peninsula and the Eastern Ghats, contributing immense biodiversity.
- The Reserve comprises of two adjoining Sanctuaries of central Odisha named as Satkosia Gorge Sanctuary and Baisipalli Sanctuary.
Vande Bharat Express
- Train 18 was recently renamed as Vande Bharat Express.
- It is India's first semi-high speed train equipped with world class passenger amenities.
- It is scheduled to commute between New Delhi and Varanasi.
- It is 40-50% faster than the fastest train currently connecting these two cities.
- Integral Coach Factory (ICF), Chennai, built the train with its completely in-house design and manufacture, computer modelling in just 18 months.
Integrated Refinery Expansion Project Complex (IREP)
- Prime Minister laid foundation stone for Integrated Refinery Expansion Project Complex (IREP) at Kochi, Kerala.
- IREP will be a modern expansion complex and transform Kochi refinery into the largest PSU Refinery in India with world class standards.
- It will be equipped for production of cleaner Fuels for India.
- It will double the production of LPG & diesel and commence production of feedstock for petrochemical projects in this plant.
Jawahar Navodya Vidyalaya (JNV)
- The Finance Ministry recently cleared a proposal to hire counsellors for Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas or JNVs in rural areas in the wake of a number of suicides.
- JNVs were envisaged as pace-setting schools for talented rural children in the National Policy on Education, 1986.
- According to norms, at least 75% of the seats in each JNV are set aside for rural children and so it is never sanctioned for a district with a 100% urban population.
- Seats are reserved for children from SC and ST communities in proportion to their population in the district where the school is located but is not to be less than the national average, which is 15% for SCs and 7.5% for STs.
- All JNVs are managed and run by the Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti, which is an autonomous body under the HRD Ministry.
- They are known for producing the best results in board examinations.
National Chilika Bird Festival
- The 2nd National Chilika Bird Festival was inaguarated at Mangalajodi , Chilika.
- The aim is to promote Ecotourism and preservation of birds in the state.
- The two day festival includes photo exhibitions, seminars and visit to Nalabana Island.
- It is jointly organized by Odisha Tourism and Chilika Development Authority.
- The National Chilika Bird Festival Award was awarded to Mangalajodi Ecotourism Group for their active involvement in bird protection.
- Chilika, which lies in the Central Asian Flyway for birds, is a major stopover for migratory birds from the the Arctic and the Sub-Arctic regions in the course of their onward and return migration along the east coast.
- The bird count for 2019 in Chilika was 10,47,968 with 181 species.
Source: PIB, The Hindu, The Indian Express
