It is a rare Giant Tortoise (Chelonoidis phantasticus).
It was feared to be extinct but has been found in a remote part of the Galapagos island of Fernandina recently.
The IUCN listed it as critically endangered & possibly extinct.
Its habitat is largely dry brush land at lower elevations, but much of that habitat has been destroyed by extensive lava flows.
Fernandina is the third largest Galapagos Island and features the La Cumbre volcano, one of the most active in the world.
Aerobics 150
Physical inactivity is identified as the fourth leading risk factor for global mortality.
It leads to prevalence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and the general health of the population.
It is also estimated to be the main cause for approximately 21%-25% of breast and colon cancers and 27% of diabetes.
So, WHO has prescribed 150 minutes of weekly physical activity to reduce the risk of hypertension, improve bone and functional health.
Padayani
It is a ritual art and folk dance form performed at Bhadrakali temples in the state of Kerala.
The word ‘Padai-ani’ means line-up or formation of the soldiers.
The story behind Padaiyani is the re-enactment of the killing of Demon Darika and calming the Goddess Kali after it.
The following are the essential parts of Padaiyani.
Kolams - Folk deities drawn on green areca leaf sheaths with natural colours.
Kolappattu - Songs in admiration of Bhagavathi,
Kolam thullal - Rhythmic footsteps and dance.
Vinodam - Satire, protesting social evils.
Velichappadu - a comedy character, and
Paradeshi - a character that bring news from around the world
The dance is to appease the Goddess so that there is eradication of social evils and there is rain, good crop and prosperity.
States’ ranking on Startup initiatives
Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) has released the 2nd edition of Startup Ranking framework for 2019.
The framework aims to rank the States/UTs for establishing a robust ecosystem for supporting Startups.
It also encourages States and UTs to identify, learn and replicate good practices from each other.
It comprises of 7 pillars that evaluates States’/UTs efforts across
institutional support
simplifying regulations
easing public procurement
incubation support
seed funding support
venture funding support
awareness and outreach related activities.
The States and Union Territories will be evaluated based on the reforms submitted based on these accounts and ranking will be released soon.
Cervical Cancer in India
A global analysis in The Lancet Oncology report estimated that India can eliminate cervical cancer by 2079.
It is a cancer that develops in a woman's cervix i.e the lower part of the uterus in the human female reproductive system.
It is nearly always caused by infection with human papillomavirus (HPV).
It is the second most common cancer among women, after breast cancer.
In India, according to 2012 estimates 1,22,844 women/year are diagnosed with cervical cancer and 67,477 die from the disease.
So, India has planned to introduce human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine in the government program by 2020.
Also India has started screening for cervical cancer in health and wellness centers under the Ayushman Bharat program.
The Lancet estimates suggest that combining the vaccine and screening in all countries from 2020 onwards could prevent up to 13.4 million cases of cervical cancer within 50 years.
