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Art & Culture

Saurashtra Tamil Sangamam inaugurated

The 'Saurashtra Tamil Sangam' program has been inaugurated at the Somnath Mahadev.

About

• The Saurashtra Tamil Sangam aims to rediscover, reaffirm and celebrate the over 1,000-year-old emigration and contribution of Saurashtrian Tamils.
• It is a program that highlights the oneness of India's culture by narrating untold histories of how a community emigrated to Tamil Nadu and their contributions to the country.
• It will celebrate the civilisational links between people from the southern part of the country and the People from the Saurastra and Kedarnath in the north.
• The STS is the second such programme under the ‘Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat’ initiative.
• The firstone was the ‘Kashi Tamil Sangamam’.

Art & Culture

World Heritage Day 2023

April 18th marks the observance of World Heritage Day, also referred to as International Day for Monuments and Sites.

About

• The day was established by the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) and was approved by the UNESCO General Conference in 1983.
• The date, April 18th, was chosen to commemorate the day when the Convention Concerning the Protection of World Cultural and Natural Heritage was adopted by UNESCO in 1982.
•  Theme 2023:  “Heritage Changes”

International Relations

Arab League

Delegates from nine Arab nations discussed the possibility of normalising relations with Syria and its return to the Arab League.

About

• The Arab League is an alliance of states that currently has 22 member states in Northern Africa and on the Arabian Peninsula, which belongs geographically to Asia.
• All member countries together cover an area of 13.15 million km² (8.7% of the world's inhabitable area). 
• The origins of the Arab League go back to the Second World War. Large parts of the founding members belonged to the Ottoman Empire. 
• The aims of the Arab League were very similar to those of NATO and the Warsaw Pact. 

Environment

‘India’s largest’ aquarium, aviary to come up at Telangana’s Eco-Park

Hyderabad is all set to have the country’s largest aquarium, which will be housed at Echo Hill Park in Kothwalguda.

About

• The Kothwalguda Eco-Park includes, in addition to gazebos and pergolas, a six-acre aviary, a 2.5-kilometre boardwalk, an aquarium, a butterfly garden, a sensory park, an open-air theatre, flora, and landscaping.

Economy

Utsa Patnaik wins Malcolm Adiseshiah Award 2023

Utsa Patnaik, a renowned economist of national and international repute, has been selected for the Malcolm Adiseshiah Award 2023.

About

• The award is given every year by the Malcolm & Elizabeth Adiseshiah Trust.
• The prestigious national award honours outstanding social scientists selected by a national-level jury specially constituted for this purpose, from the nominations received.

Science & Technology

Pralay ballistic missiles

India plans to acquire 250 more Pralay ballistic missiles to further bolster its own 'rocket force'.

About

• Pralay Ballistic Missile is an indigenous short-range ballistic surface-to-surface (SRBM) missile.
• This conventional weapon has a range of 150 to 500 kilometres.
• It is propelled by a solid-propellant rocket motor and other novel technologies.
• The Pralay missile project was sanctioned in 2015 and is a derivative of the Prahaar missile programme, which was first tested in 2011.
• The missile guidance system has integrated avionics and cutting-edge navigation. The Indian Air Force would be the first to receive the missile, and then the Indian Army.

Environment

Cumbum grapes gets GI Tag

Cumbum grapes from Tamil Nadu received the Geographical Indication (GI) label.

• Cumbum grapes is also known as the Cumbum Panneer Thratchai. 
• The Cumbum valley, located in Tamil Nadu's Western Ghats, is regarded as the "Grapes City of South India '' and grows the Panneer Thratchai.
• This variety, sometimes known as Muscat Hamburg, accounts for over 85% of the grape-growing areas in Tamil Nadu.
• Theni district is one of Panneer Thratchai's highest grape-producing locations.
• However, the 'Panneer' type is most closely linked with Cumbum Valley, where the agricultural area spans over 2,000 acres across ten villages. 
• The Cumbum region's agroclimate and soil conditions are ideal for the cultivation of the Muscat varietal.
• This grape quality is suitable for making wine, spirits, jams, canned grape juice, and raisins.
• These grapes are high in vitamins, tartaric acid, and antioxidants, and they help to lower the risk of some chronic diseases. Apart from their purplish-brown color, they are also noted for their exceptional taste.