Bilaspur-Manali-Leh Rail line
- Recently final survey for Bilaspur-Manali-Leh Rail line has been launched. It is going to be one of the highest railway tracks in the world.
- It is laid at the height of 3,300 mt and 498-km long stretch will overtake China’s Qinghai-Tibet Railway.
- Currently, the road route is open only for about five months in a year. Thus the rail line aimed at connecting Leh with the rest of the country through all weather rail line.
- The all-weather Leh rail network is one of the four important railway connectivities identified by the defence ministry along the China border.
Bilaspur Manali Leh Railway line
Swachh Rail Campaign
- Under this campaign, Quality Council of India conducted its 3rd survey to rank railway stations.
- Visakhapatnam railway station in Andhra Pradesh was rated the cleanest station among the 75 busiest stations in the country.
- It is followed by Secunderabad, Jammu, Vijayawada.
- It is based on the criteria such as toilets on platforms, management of tracks and dustbins.
Salt Water Crocodiles
- The Estuarine or salt water crocodiles are found in the eastern coast and Andaman & Nicobar Islands in India.
- Bhitarkanika National park on the odisha coast houses 70% of India’s salt water crocodiles.
- Project Crocodile was launched by Government of India and UNDP to save the salt water crocodiles in Bhitarkanika.
- Unlike other crocodiles, estuarine crocodiles lay eggs by creating a mound made of leaves of a particular mangrove species, which are plentifully available in Bhitarkanika.
- Crocodiles start laying eggs by mid-may, with an incubation period of 75 days.
- Other Crocodile species in India: Mugger crocodile and Gharial Crocodile.
Magnetic field in Uranus
- Recently scientists have found that Uranus’ magnetic field gets flipped on and off like a light switch everyday as the planet rotates.
- It is based on the data from NASA’s Voyager 2 Spacecraft.
- Uranus magnetic field is lopsided and tilted 60 degrees from its axis. Thus it causes magnetic field to tumble asymmetrically to the solar winds.
- This is quite different from Earth’s magnetosphere, since the alignment of Earth’s magnetosphere is always toward the sun and it is one of the reason for Earth’s auroras.
