The Bangladesh China India Myanmar (BCIM) economic corridor aims to connect Kolkata with Kunming, capital of the Yunnan province of China.
It envisages the formation of a thriving economic belt, focusing on cross-border transport, energy and telecommunication networks.
India will benefit in terms of the development of the Kolkata port and the opening up of the economic potential of the northeast states.
Earlier BCIM was part of China’s BRI initiative, recently the project has been delisted from the BRI umbrella.
Projects under Belt and Road Initiative of China
Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is a giant connectivity initiative speared by China to revive the ancient Silk Road across Eurasia and Africa.
Under the project South Asia is covered by three major undertakings
China-Myanmar Economic Corridor (CMEC).
Nepal-China Trans-Himalayan Multi-dimensional Connectivity Network, including Nepal-China cross-border railway.
China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) – India opposes this project as it passes through Pakistan occupied Kashmir.
Other projects in which India is a member
IMT trilateral Highway - India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway will join India’s Northeast with Thailand and other ASEAN members through Myanmar.
Kaladan Multimodal Project - The Kaladan Multimodal Transit Transport Project will help connect the Northeast with Myanmar as well as with West Bengal.
BBIN - Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, and Nepal (BBIN) needs to be accorded the highest priority as it has great potential to deliver rich dividends quickly.
Global Food Policy Report
International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) releases Global Food Policy Report annually.
The report reviews the major food policy issues, developments, and decisions of 2018, and considers challenges and opportunities.
According to the report consumption patterns is changing largely due to urbanization, demographic transitions, increasing income, and growing integration of food supply chains.
Beluga Whale
The beluga whale is the Arctic and sub-Arctic aquatic mammal.
It is also known as the white whale, as it is the only marine mammal of this colour.
It possesses a distinctive protuberance at the front of its head which houses an echolocation organ called the melon, which in this species is large and deformable.
Its sense of hearing is highly developed and its echolocation allows it to move about and find breathing holes under sheet ice.
Recently it is believed that Russia has been using the whales for military intelligence by mounting spying devices on the whale.
Cryptozoology
Cryptozoology is a pseudoscience and subculture that aims to prove the existence of entities from the folklore record.
Cryptozoology does not follow the scientific method, thus it is neither a branch of zoology nor folkloristics.
Recently Indian Army during its Himalayan expedition identified Giant footprints which are 32 inches long and 15 inches wide.
Indian Army suspects that the footprints they have observed must be of the Yeti, a mythical snowman that is said to inhabit the high Himalayas.
There is no scientific evidence thus far that a creature like a snowman exists, but the Yeti remains a part of Himalayan folklore.
Mango showers
Mango showers are used to describe the occurrence of pre-monsoon rainfall, they help in the early ripening of mangoes.
They are notable across much of South and Southeast Asia, including India, and Cambodia.
These rains normally occur from March to April, although their arrival is often difficult to predict.
Their intensity can range from light showers to heavy and persistent thunderstorms.
In India, the mango showers occur as the result of thunderstorm development over the Bay of Bengal.
They are also known as ‘Kaal Baishali’ in Bengal, as Bordoisila in Assam and as Cherry Blossom shower or Coffee Shower in Kerala.
Towards the close of the summer season, pre-monsoon showers are common, especially in Kerala, Karnataka and parts of Tamil Nadu in India.
