Bharat Parv
- The ‘Bharat Parv’ is an event organized annually at Red Fort, Delhi from 26th to 31st January to commemorate Republic day
- The prime objective of organizing the event is to generate a patriotic mood, promote the rich cultural diversity of the country and to ensure wider participation of the general public.
- The Ministry of Tourism has been designated as the nodal ministry for this event.
PMKSY
- Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana is the scheme under ministry of agriculture and farmers welfare.
- The major objective of the scheme is to achieve convergence of investments in irrigation, expand cultivable area under assured irrigation, and improve on-farm water use efficiency to reduce wastage of water.
- PMKSY has been conceived amalgamating ongoing schemes viz.
- Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme (AIBP) of the Ministry of Water Resources, River Development &Ganga Rejuvenation (MoWR,RD&GR).
- Integrated Watershed Management Programme (IWMP) of Department of Land Resources (DoLR).
- On Farm Water Management (OFWM) of Department of Agriculture and Cooperation (DAC).
Funaria hygrometrica
- Scientists have identified a type of moss that can efficiently absorb a large amount of lead, providing a green alternative for decontaminating polluted water and soil.
- Funaria hygrometrica is the moss whichuses phytoremediation,it is known to grow well in sites contaminated with metals like copper, zinc, and lead.
- Phytoremediation is a method that uses photosynthesising organisms to clean up soil or water contamination.
- The Moss cells can absorbed lead up to 74 per cent of their dry weight.
Online auction for Scraps
- Indian Railways have been selling its internally generated scrap entirely through online e-auction.
- Majority of the scrap material comprises of worn-out rails and track fittings released from track renewal/gauge conversion, steel scrap generated in course of overhaul /repairs of rolling stocks, other non-ferrous and miscellaneous scrap.
- The e-auction module is part of the IREPS (Indian Railways E-Procurement System) which is a single portal of Indian Railways handling all procurements tenders and e-auctions digitally.
INSPIRE
- Innovation in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research (INSPIRE) issponsored and managed by Ministry of Science & Technology.
- The basic objective of INSPIRE is to attract young talents to the study of science and build the required critical human resource pool for strengthening R & D base.
- The programme does not conduct any competitive exams for identification of talent at any level.
- It relies on the existing educational structure for identification of talent.
- The programme has three components:
- Scheme for Early Attraction of Talent- (SEATS)
- Scholarship for Higher Education- (SHE)
- Assured Opportunity for Research Careers - (AORC)
Urban heat islands
- Rapid urbanisation combined with changes in land use pattern leads warming of urban spaces compared with surrounding non-urban areas this is called the urban heat island effect.
- Urban migration, concrete jungles, decrease in dense vegetation and cultivable land area, encroachments in water bodies will influence urban heat islands.
- For instance, Delhi is 4-12°C warmer due to the urban heat island effect.
Source: PIB, the Hindu, Indian Express
