Facts in News

Facts in News
Jim Corbett National Park	Location: Nainital, Uttarakhand. Spans over an extent of 520 square km. The whole area comprises hills, marshy depressions, riverine belts, grasslands and a large lake. Rivers: Ramganga, Kosi & Sonanadi. Established in 1936 as Hailey National Park, Corbett has the glory of being India’s oldest and most prestigious National Park. It is a part of the larger Corbett Tiger Reserve, a Project Tiger Reserve. It is honoured as the place where Project Tiger was first launched in 1973. Flora According to the Botanical Survey of India, Corbett has 600 species of plants comprising trees, shrubs, ferns, grass, climbers, herbs and bamboo. More than 75% of the total area of the Corbett is dominated by Sal forests. Fauna Apart from Royal Bengal Tiger, it is also home to a sizable population of the endangered Asiatic elephant and other critically endangered species including the Gharial. Mammal species include Asiatic Black Bear, Hog Deer, Walking Deer, Sambar, Sloth Bear, etc., a diversity of aqua fauna and birdlife with approximately 600 species including the great pied hornbill, white-Backed Vulture, Hodgson’s bush chat, etc. and reptiles like mugger Crocodiles, the king Cobra, etc. (Image Courtesy: Corbett NP)
Swachhta Saarthi Fellowship	Launched by the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India under its “Waste to Wealth” Mission. Waste to Wealth Mission: One of the nine national missions of the Prime Minister’s Science, Technology, and Innovation Advisory Council (PM-STIAC). Aims To recognise students, community workers/self-help groups, and municipal/sanitary workers who are engaged in scientific and sustainable waste management. To encourage community participation and spread awareness. Three categories of awards under the fellowships Category-A: Open to school students from 9th to 12th standards engaged in waste management community work. Category-B: Open to college students (UG, PG, research students) engaged in waste management community work. Category-C: Open to citizens working in the community and through self-help groups (SHGs), municipal or sanitary workers working beyond specifications of their job requirements. (Image Courtesy: OPSA)
Land Ports Authority of India (LPAI)	Statutory body (created by Land Ports Authority of India Act, 2010). Established in 2012, Headquartered in New Delhi. Parent ministry: Ministry of Home Affairs. Objective: Responsible for creating, upgrading, maintaining and managing border infrastructure in India. Manages several Integrated Check Posts (ICPs) across Indian Borders. Other Projects Inland Custom Posts Shri Kartarpur Sahib Corridor It celebrated its 9th Foundation Day on 1 March 2021.
5th Asia Economic Dialogue (AED) 2021	Asia Economic Dialogue(AED) is the flagship geo-economics conference of the Indian Ministry of External Affairs(MEA). The dialogue focuses on trade and finance dynamics in Asia and its extended neighbourhood. AED was part of a strategic agenda to make it the “Davos of East” on global geo-economics in keeping with the shifting of economic gravity from the West to Asia. Recently 5th edition of AED 2021 was jointly organized by Ministry of External Affairs(MEA) Pune International Centre (PIC). Theme: ‘Post Covid-19 Global Trade and Finance Dynamics’. ‘Building reliable global chains’. Focus: The dialogue focused on the pandemic’s impact on trade and finance, on the world, and on Asia in particular. It also discussed strategies to deal with this impact. Different countries including Australia, Bhutan, Maldives and Mauritius, etc took part in the event Key Highlights of Inaugural Speech of External Affairs Minister More government support for domestic businesses especially MSMEs is the need of the hour. No country can or should attempt to do everything by themselves in a globalised economy but there existed a huge potential for manufacturing which had not been fostered by the right policies at home till now. Jobless growth was not “a testimony to the policies of a growing country”. A lot more people-centric policies, both at home and abroad, were needed.
St. George’s Orthodox Church	Centuries-old St. George’s Orthodox Church at Cheppad, Kerala has faced the risk of demolition for widening of National Highway (NH) 66. It is now set to be declared a Centrally protected monument of national importance by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). The church was built in AD 950, but some experts put the year of construction at AD 1050. Though it was rebuilt in 1952, the apse at the eastern end of the church was left intact to preserve the murals. Church is one of the rarest in Kerala, having traditional Kerala church architectural patterns with rare and beautiful mural paintings on the walls of the altar. Forty-seven murals are arranged in three rows on three walls of the church. The paintings include those of St. Paul with a sword, the birth of Jesus Christ, resurrection of Lazar by Christ, the kiss of Judas, the Last Supper, Christ bearing the cross and being flogged by soldiers, other scenes from crucifixion, Adam and Eve eating the forbidden fruit, and Noah’s Ark. These paintings, a blend of Persian art and Kerala’s mural artwork, have drawn enthusiasts from far and wide. Besides, Philipose Mar Dionysius, Malankara Metropolitan during the 19th Century, was buried in a sepulchre attached to its sanctuary.
Rashtriya Uchchtar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA)	It was launched in 2013 under the erstwhile Ministry of Human Resource Development (now Ministry of Education). Aims To work with 300-plus state universities and their affiliated colleges to raise the bar of campus life. To provide strategic funding to eligible state higher educational institutions. Funding It is a centrally sponsored programme. The central funding (in the ratio of 60:40 for general category states, 90:10 for special category states and 100% for UTs) is based on norms and is outcome dependent. Funds flow from the central ministry through the state governments/UTs to the State Higher Education Councils before reaching the identified institutions. Funding to states would be made on the basis of the critical appraisal of State Higher Education Plans, which would enlist each state’s strategy to address issues of equity, access and excellence in higher education. Functions Improve access, equity and quality in higher education through planned development of higher education at the state level. Create new academic institutions, expand & upgrade the existing ones, develop institutions that are self-reliant in terms of quality education. Provide students with an education that is relevant to them as well as the nation as a whole. Guiding Principles: Research, Funding, Incentivising, Decision, Autonomy, Governance & Development.
National Green Tribunal	It was established in 2010 under the NGT Act of 2010 as a statutory body. It is a specialised body for effective and expeditious disposal of cases relating to environmental protection and conservation of forests and other natural resources. The Tribunal shall not be bound by the procedure laid down under the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908, but shall be guided by principles of natural justice. New Delhi is the Principal Place of Sitting of the Tribunal and Bhopal, Pune, Kolkata and Chennai shall be the other four places of sitting of the Tribunal. Composition – It consists of a Chairperson, the Judicial Members and Expert Members. They shall hold office for a term of five years and are not eligible for reappointment. The Chairperson is appointed by the Central Government in consultation with the Chief Justice of India (CJI). There are at least 10 and a maximum of 20 full-time Judicial members and Expert Members in the tribunal. Mandate – It is mandated to make disposal of applications or appeals finally within 6 months of the filing of the case. It deals with civil cases under the seven laws related to the environment. The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Cess Act, 1977, The Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980, The Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981, The Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, The Public Liability Insurance Act, 1991 and The Biological Diversity Act, 2002
PMI Index	The Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) is an index of the prevailing direction of economic trends in the manufacturing and service sectors. It is an economic indicator, which is derived after monthly surveys of different companies. There are two types of PMI — Manufacturing PMI and Services PMI. A combined index is also made using both manufacturing PMI and services PMI. The purpose of the PMI is to provide information about current and future business conditions to company decision-makers, analysts, and investors. The index helps in determining whether the market conditions, as seen by purchasing managers, is expanding, contracting or staying the same.
Sugamya Bharat App	The Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment launched “Sugamya Bharat App” and a handbook entitled “Access – The Photo Digest”. It is a Crowdsourcing Mobile Application that has been developed as a means to sensitise and enhance the accessibility It provides for five main features of which four are directly related to enhancing accessibility. They include registration of complaints of inaccessibility across the broad pillars of the built environment, transportation sector and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) ecosystem. The fifth feature is a special feature meant only for Divyangjan for COVID related issues. The handbook is envisaged as a tool and guide to sensitise stakeholders about 10 basic features of accessibility and related good-bad practices in easy to understand pictorial form.
Bir Chilarai Divas	It is a regional public holiday in the north-eastern Indian state of Assam. To honour the courageous and heroic deeds of Bir Chilarai, his birth anniversary is being observed as Bir Chilarai Divas every year. It falls on the *Poornima* (full moon) of *Magha* month which usually falls in February in the western calendar. In 2021, it was celebrated on 27th February. Bir Chilarai (1510-1571 AD) Also know and the Kite Prince of Assam. He was a Great General of the Koch Royal Dynasty of Assam. By his bravery and heroism, he played a crucial role in expanding the great empire of his elder brother, Maharaja Nara Narayan. Originally named Shukladhwaj, he was the son of the Maharaja Viswa Singha, who founded the Koch royal dynasty in 1515 AD. He gained the title Chilarai which means ‘Kite Prince’ as his military attacks were noted for their speed, like a chila (kite). He died of smallpox on the bank of the Ganges. From the year 2005, the government of Assam has been conferring Bir Chilarai Award, the highest honour for bravery to individuals. (Image Courtesy: The Sentinel)