UPSC Daily Current Affairs| Prelim Bits 14-01-2025

Harvest festivals of India

Why in News?

Harvest festivals are being celebrated across India.

• Harvest festivals - It is a yearly celebration that occurs around the time of the main harvest of a given region.
• Different festivals - Due to different climates and cropping patterns, India celebrates these Harvest festivals at different times of the year.
• Significance
  • To express gratitude for a bountiful harvest, and to recognize the hard work and labor involved in growing crops.
  • People come together as a community to celebrate the end of the growing season.
  • Some harvest festivals have a religious or spiritual origin, often linked to ancient agricultural rituals or celebrations.
  • Commemorate the cycle of life and death and also indicate the end of the agricultural cycle and the beginning of the end of the year

Reference

PIB | LOHRI, MAKAR SANKRANTI, PONGAL AND MAGH BIHU

The sada

Why in News?

The land-use patterns sada region are changing and they are increasingly being converted to orchards or residential areas.

• Sada –  They are lateritic flat tops region on the konkan region of western ghats, locally called sada, meaning a large flat area .
• They are  formed by centuries of erosion.
• Characteristics - The sada are barren most of the year but become transformed during the monsoons.

• They are similar to the plateaux, locally called pathar, in the Satara district of Maharashtra, of which the Kaas Plateau is a well-known example.
• They are rocky and harbour unique endemic flora that cover it in the monsoon season.
• Biodiversity sada - 459 plant species, of which 105 are endemic to the Konkan region.
• 31 species of reptiles, 13 species of amphibians, 169 species of birds, and 41 species of mammals in the region.
• Farming - During the monsoons, the locals use small patches of sada to grow rice and millets (like nanchani, Eleusine coracana) with traditional practices that don’t require the use of pesticides and chemical fertilisers.
• Water catchment - The highly weathered lateritic soil layer on the top acts as a catchment for the rainwater and recharges the groundwater , enabling the villages in the sada have access to fresh water all year round.
• Geoglyphs - The area is also host to works of art called geoglyphs, dated to roughly 10,000 years ago.
• Wasteland - The fact that the sada is also classified as a ‘wasteland’ in the Wasteland Atlas makes matters worse.

Reference

The Hindu | Sada

Sonamarg tunnel

Why in news?

Recently Sonamarg tunnel has been inaugurated by the Prime Minister.

• Sonamarg Tunnel project – It is around 12 km long, has been constructed at a cost of over Rs 2,700 crore.
• Components - It comprises the Sonamarg main tunnel of 6.4 km length, an egress tunnel and approach roads.
• Sonamarg tunnel - Previously known as Z-Morh Tunnel, is a 6.5 km long 2-lane road tunnel between Gagangair and Sonamarg in the Ganderbal district of Jammu and Kashmir in northern India.
• It is Situated at an altitude of over 8,650 feet above sea level.
• Leh Connectivity - it will enhance all-weather connectivity between Srinagar and Sonamarg enroute to Leh.
• Ladakh Connectivity – It ensures safer and uninterrupted access to the strategically critical Ladakh region.
• NH 1 – Along with Zojila tunnel,  It will ensure seamless NH-1 connectivity between Srinagar Valley and Ladakh .
• Tourism promotion - It will also promote tourism by transforming Sonamarg into a year-round destination, boosting winter tourism, adventure sports, and local livelihoods.

Reference

PIB | Sonamarg Tunnel

Nag Mk 2 

Field Evaluation Trials of Nag Mk 2  Anti-Tank Missile, were successfully conducted recently. 

• Nag Mk 2 – It is an indigenously-developed third-generation Anti-Tank Fire-and-Forget Guided Missile. 

• Characteristics – It is an all-weather, fire-and-forget, lock-on after launch, anti-tank guided missile (ATGM). 

• Range - While the exact range remains classified, the Nag Mk-2 is estimated to have a range of seven to 10 kilometres. 

Its predecessor the Nag Mark 1, which had a 4-kilometre range. 

• HEAT warhead - The missile also boasts a tandem high-explosive anti tank (HEAT) warhead for increased destructive power . 

• It also has  top-attack capability to strike the most vulnerable part of armoured targets. 

• Launch vehicle - Nag Mk-2 missile is launched from the NAMICA, an armoured vehicle based on the Indian-made BMP-2 Sarath. 

• Sarath – It is based off a Russian-origin BMP-II based system with amphibious capability. 

• NAMICA – It provides a robust and mobile platform for the Nag missile system, allowing it to be deployed quickly and effectively across various terrains. 

• Effectiveness – It is effective against modern armoured vehicles, including those equipped with Explosive Reactor Armour. 

Reference 

PIB | Nag Mk 2