Power Rail Koyla Availability through Supply Harmony (PRAKASH) portal was launched by the Ministry of Coal & Power.
It is for better coordination among the ministries of power, coal and Indian Railways for coal supply to power plants.
It will enable all stakeholders to map and monitor coal right from mines to transportation.
Through the portal, coal company will be able to track stocks and the coal requirement at power stations for effective production planning.
It is developed by NTPC and sources data from Central Electricity Authority (CEA), Centre for Railway Information System (CRIS) and coal companies.
However, the portal, unlike the power ministry’s other recently launched websites, is not accessible to general public.
The present mechanism to review coal supply situation consists of an inter-ministerial group with officials from ministries of Power, Coal, Railways, CEA, power utilities and coal companies.
This has faced several issues such as scattered information, correctness of data from different organizations, timely availability of data etc.
EEHV
Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpesvirus (EEHV) is a rare viral disease that causes fatal disease in young Asian Elephants.
When it is triggered, the elephant dies of massive internal bleeding and symptoms which are hardly visible.
Some elephants show symptoms such as reduced appetite, nasal discharge and swollen glands.
The disease is usually fatal, with a short course of 28-35 hours.
It is lethal for young elephants between the ages of 1 and 12.
There is no true cure for herpesviruses in animals or in humans.
If a young elephant dies before reproducing, it affects the population of the species in the concerned geography.
It has killed five elephants inNandan Kanan Zoo &Chandaka forest in Odisha.
Military Exercises
Ekuverin – It is a joint military exercise between Indian and Maldives.
Its 10th edition will be organised in Maharashtra.
Nomadic Elephant – It is Indo – Mongolian joint military training.
Its 14th edition will be conducted in Bakloh, Himachal Pradesh.
Kazind – It is an annual military exercise between India and Kazakhstan.
Its 4th edition commenced in Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand.
Audio Odigos
It is an Audio Guide facility App launched by the Ministry of Tourism for 12 iconic sites.
It is launched during Paryatan Parv programme, which aims to develop responsible tourism.
It offers verified content, with visuals & voice over support and an inbuilt map of the site for a smooth navigation during the tour.
The audio can be chosen in their preferred language & version of the history.
The 12 sitesinclude Amer Fort, Rajasthan, Chandni Chowk, Red Fort, Purana Quila, Humayun’s tomb, Delhi, Fatehpur Sikri, Taj Mahal, Uttar Pradesh, Somnath and Dholavira, Gujarat, Khajuraho, Madhya pradesh, Mahabalipuram, Tamilnadu and Mahabodhi Temple.
Bharat-22
The Further Fund Offer 2 (FFO 2) of Bharat 22 Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF) will be opened as a part of government’s disinvestment programme.
Bharat-22 will comprise stocks of 22 blue-chip public sector units, State-owned banks and three private companies where Specified Undertakings of the Unit Trust of India (SUUTI) has stakes.
It is managed through ICICI Prudential Fund and it is in pursuance of government’s disinvestment policy targeting an initial amount of Rs.6,000 crore.
Earlier the government has launched Central Public Sector Undertakings (CPSE) ETF, which had stocks of many energy companies.
Bharat 22 is a well diversified ETF spanning six sectors such as basic materials, energy, finance, FMCG, industrials and utilities.
While CPSE ETF has only state-run companies as its constituents, Bharat-22 will give the government a shot at selling stakes in some of the private sector blue-chip companies as well.
Exchange Traded Fund
An ETF is a type of fund that tracks the underlying assets and divides ownership of those assets into shares.
The underlying assets can be shares of stock, bonds, oil futures, gold bars, foreign currency, etc.
Shareholders do not directly own or have any direct claim to the underlying investments in the fund, rather they indirectly own these assets.
The ETFs trading value is based on the net asset value of the underlying stocks that it represents.
ETF shareholders are entitled to a proportion of the profits, such as earned interest or dividends paid, and they may get a residual value in case the fund is liquidated.
ETF Vs Mutual Fund - The transaction of stocks and bonds under the Mutual Fund is with the company that manages the fund.
Whereas in ETF, the ownership of the fund can easily be bought, sold or transferred in the same way as shares of stock, since ETF shares are traded on public stock exchanges.
