It is the world’s most endangered of the stork species.
Earlier it was distributed throughout northern and eastern India and many countries of south and south-east Asia, it is currently only in Assam and Bihar and a few other locations in Cambodia.
It is listed as “Endangered” in IUCN Red list of threatened species.
It is locally called ‘Hargila’ in the Brahmaputra Valley in Assam, which harbours more than 80% of the global population of the species.
It is considered family by women of Dadara and Pacharia villages in Assam’s Kamrup district.
Families observed a unique ceremony of baby shower for the greater adjutant nesting in their neighbourhood.
They build colonies on tall trees during their breeding season in winter.
A campaign was launched in Assamto save the birds by Aaranyak, a wildlife conservation organisation in 2009.
Assam's renowned environmentalist Purnima Devi Barman has won the prestigious Whitley Awards, also known as the Green Oscars, for her efforts in conserving greater adjutant storks in association with Aaranyak.
UNESCO Creative City
The UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) was launched in 2004 to promote cooperation among cities which recognized creativity as a major factor in their urban development.
It aims to foster mutual international cooperation with and between member cities committed to investing in creativity as a driver for sustainable urban development, social inclusion and cultural vibrancy.
The Network recognizes the following creative fields:
Crafts and Folk Arts
Media Arts
Film
Design
Gastronomy
Literature
Music
The overall situation and activities within the Network are reported in the UCCN Membership Monitoring Reports, each for a 4-year period for a particular city.
The Network recognizes the concept of creative tourism, defined as a travel associated with creative experience and participation
The following three Indian cities has been added to UCCN - Varanasi for Music, Jaipur for Crafts and Folk Art and Chennai for Music.
To become part of the network of 180 cities, where development is believed to be intricately linked to their creative traditions.
Recent Developments - Hyderabadhas now been officially designated as a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy and Mumbai in Film Category.
These 2 cities are among 66 cities named by the UNESCO in the list of new Creative Cities which aims at pushing the Sustainable Development Goals through innovative thinking and action.
Hyderabad is the city of biryanis, kebabs, haleem, kallu, shikampur and chowki dinners.
Pre-Islamic Kakatiya cuisines (12th century) have interacted in an incredible fashion with the arrival of Turks in 15th century, followed by Mughal influences in the 17th century.
National Health Profile
National Health Profile (NHP) 2019 has been released by the Central Bureau of Health Intelligence.
It covers demographic, socio-economic, health status and health finance indicators, human resources in the health sector and health infrastructure.
It is also an important source of information on various communicable and non-communicable diseases that are not covered under any other major programmes.
Key Findings - India has registered an improved sex ratio from 933 in 2001 to 943 in 2011.
In rural areas the sex ratio has increased from 946 to 949 and in urban areas from 900 to 929.
Kerala has recorded the highest sex ratio in respect of total population (1,084), rural population (1,078) and urban (1,091).
The lowest sex ratio in rural areas has been recorded in Chandigarh (690).
India also shows a decline in birth and death rates.
Non-communicable diseases dominating over communicable in the total disease burden of the country.
The estimated birth rate reduced from 25.8 in 2000 to 20.4 in 2016 while the death rate declined from 8.5 to 6.4 per 1,000 population over the same period.
The total fertility rate (average number of children that will be born to a woman during her lifetime) in 12 States has fallen below two children per woman and 9 States have reached replacement levels of 2.1 and above.
Delhi, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal have the lowest fertility rate among other States.
Mekedatu Reservoir
The Mekedatu Reservoir project envisages building a balancing reservoir in Cauvery River with storage of 67 thousand million cubic feet (tmc ft).
It would also supply drinking water to Bengaluru and Ramanagaram districts, besides generating power.
The proposal received the Karnataka Cabinet’s approval in February 2017 and the feasibility report was submitted to the Central Water Commission (CWC).
CWC has allowed Karnataka to go ahead with the project with the prerequisite that it should get No-Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA).
After obtaining NOC from CWMA, the proposal will be considered by Advisory Committee of the Ministry of Jal Shakti, whose concurrence is mandatory for a project on any inter-State river.
Karnataka has been contending for the project to help store excess water in Monsoon surplus year.
Tamil Nadu has been opposing the project that it would effectively prevent the flow in the Cauvery, the lifeline for agriculture in delta districts, besides being a major drinking water source for several districts.
Vyas Samman
The Vyas Samman, started in 1991, is given by K K Birla Foundation for an outstanding literary work in Hindi authored by an Indian citizen published during the last 10 years.
It carries an award money of four lakh rupees along with a citation and plaque.
Hindi writer Leeladhar Jagoori was conferred this award for the year 2018.
