Prelim Bits 24-04-2018

Khongjom battle day

Manipur observed ‘Khongjom Day’ in commemoration of the Anglo-Manipur War of 1891 recently.
The 1891 armed conflict was the last battle fought between the Kingdom of Manipur and the British Empire.
Manipur lost the war and this marked the beginning of British rule in the then princely state.
The Manipur government has been observing April 23 as ‘Khongjom Day’ every year.
The battle was fought in Kheba Hill of Khongjom in Thoubal district.

Gram Swaraj Abhiyan

On the occasion of Ambedkar Jayanti, Prime Minister of India announced that a “Gram Swaraj Abhiyan” would be organised starting from 14th April to 05th May, 2018.
The campaign, undertaken is under the name of “Sabka Sath, Sabka Gaon, Sabka Vikas”.
It is to promote social harmony, spread awareness about pro-poor initiatives of government, and reach out to poor households to enroll them as also to obtain their feedback on various welfare programs.
As a special endeavour during the Gram Swaraj Abhiyan, saturation of eligible households or persons would be made under the seven flagship pro-poor programs in identified villages.
The seven schemes are Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, Saubhagya, Ujala scheme, Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana and Mission Indradhanush.

Diu Smart City

Diu Smart City has become the first city in India that runs on 100% renewable energy during daytime.
It had been importing 73% of its power from Gujarat until last year.
It has achieved this by two pronged approach

Developing a 9 MW solar park
Installing solar panels on the roof tops on government buildings thereby generating 1.3 MW annually

Diu offers its residents a subsidy of Rs 10, 000-50,000 for installing 1-5KW roof top solar panels.
Due to low-cost solar energy, power tariffs have been cut in residential category by 10% last year and 15% this year.

UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize

Egyptian photojournalist Mahmoud Abu Zeid will be awarded UNESCO’s Guillermo Cano Press Freedom prize-2018.
The prize honors a person, organization or institution that has made an outstanding contribution to the promotion of press freedom anywhere in the world, and especially when this has been achieved in the face of danger.
It was created in 1997.
It was established on the initiative of UNESCO's Executive Board and is formally on the occasion of World Press Freedom Day, on 3 May.
It is named in honour of Guillermo Cano Isaza, a Colombian journalist who was assassinated in front of the offices of his newspaper El Espectador in Bogotá, Colombia.

Irrawaddy dolphin

The population of Cambodia’s river dolphin, Irrawaddy Dolphin, is growing for the first time in decades.
The Irrawaddy dolphin lives in both salt- and freshwater, and is found in a few locations in South and Southeast Asia.
Cambodia is home to the largest population of Irrawaddy dolphins, which can also be found in,

The Irrawaddy dolphins are known for their bulging foreheads and short beaks once swam through much of the Mekong River.
However, in recent decades have been limited to a narrow stretch from central Cambodia to its northern border with Laos.
The population was in steady decline since the first census was taken in 1997, dropping from 200 that year to 80 in 2015 due to habitat loss and destructive fishing practices.
Now, the number of dolphins in the Mekong has increased from 80 to 92 in the past two years.
It is listed in Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) as well as the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS).

Novel device to rescue humans trapped in rubble

Scientists have developed a light and portable sensor that can detect even the faintest signs of life.
It could be used to rescue people trapped in rubble after an earthquake or bombing.
The device is light and portable enough for first responders to hold in their hands or for drones to carry on a search for survivors.
Current approaches include the use of human-sniffing dogs and acoustic probes that can detect cries for help.
Drawbacks in these methods such as the limited availability of canines and the silence of unconscious victims.
The researchers built the palm-sized sensor array from three existing gas sensors, each tailored to detect a specific chemical emitted by breath or skin: acetone, ammonia or isoprene.

Source: PIB, The Hindu, Business Standard