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Miscellaneous- Awards

Jeevan Raksha Padak Series of Awards-2023

The President of India has approved the conferment of Jeevan Raksha Padak Series of Awards-2023 on 31 persons which includes Sarvottam Jeevan Raksha Padak to 03, Uttam Jeevan Raksha Padak to 07 and Jeevan Raksha Padak to 21 persons.

About:

• Jeevan Raksha Padak series of awards are given to a person for meritorious act of human nature in saving the life of a person.
• The award is given in three categories, namely, Sarvottam Jeevan Raksha Padak, Uttam Jeevan Raksha Padak and Jeevan Raksha Padak.
• Persons of all walks of life are eligible for these awards.
• The award can also be conferred posthumously.
• The decoration of the award (medal, certificate signed by the Union Home Minister and lump sum monetary allowance) is presented to the awardees in due course by the respective Union Ministries/Organizations/State Government to which the awardee belongs.

Governance

‘Rajmargyatra’ app

Rajmargyatra’ mobile application launched by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI). The app to show details of tourist sites near highways.

About:

• NHAI is updating its app following a suggestion from the Ministry of Tourism to increase tourist footfalls at sites located within 25 kilometre radius of the highways.
• The details of tourist sites in the vicinity of national highways and convenient routes to reach them will soon be available.
• The app offers essential information and complaint redressal.
• Tourism ministry, however, suggested mapping places that are in the radius of 200 km of highways.
• The app was introduced as a one-stop repository to improve user travelling experience in August 2023 by providing essential information such as real-time weather conditions, timely broadcast notifications, and access to details about nearby toll plazas, petrol pumps, hospitals, hotels, and other facilities for national highway users.
• The app is also equipped with an inbuilt complaint redressal and escalation mechanism. Users can easily report the issues, attaching geo-tagged videos or photos for better clarity.

Art and Culture

SAMALEI Plan

Odisha launches SAMALEI Plan to transform Samaleswari Temple into a spiritual hub.

About:

• Comprehensive redevelopment project to enhance the temple precinct of MaaSamaleswari in Sambalpur.
• The project aims to provide a unique experiential experience to the visitors and pilgrims by creating an ambience of spirituality, culture, and heritage.
• It will boost the tourism-based economy of Sambalpur and Odisha by facilitating economic opportunities for the locals.

About Samaleswari Temple -

• Samaleswari Temple is a Hindu temple in Sambalpur, Odisha, India, dedicated to the goddess known as 'Samaleswari', also known among the natives as samaleimaa, meaning Mother Samaleswari.
• Shree ShreeSamaleswari, the presiding deity of Sambalpur, is a strong religious force in western part of Odisha and Chhattisgarh state of India.
• On the bank of the river Mahanadi, the mother goddess Samaleswari is worshipped from ancient times as Jagatjanani, Adishakti, Mahalaxmi and Mahasaraswati, and is the mother of the universe.
• After Lord Jagannath, she is the only Goddess in Odisha who is the presiding deity of such a large region including the complete Western Odisha, parts of Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh.
• The region in which the temple is situated has a rich cultural heritage.
• Sambalpur region is popularly known as Hirakhanda from ancient times.

Art and Culture

Maratha Military Landscapes

'Maratha Military Landscapes' to be India's nomination for UNESCO tag for 2024-25 

About ‘Maratha Military Landscapes of India’:

• The ‘Maratha Military Landscapes of India’ comprise twelve components, including Salher Fort, Shivneri Fort, Lohgad, Khanderi Fort, Raigad, Rajgad, Pratapgad, Suvarnadurg, Panhala Fort, Vijay Durg, Sindhudurg, and Gingee Fort.
• These structures, dating back to the 17th and 19th centuries, span across Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu, showcasing the strategic military prowess of the Maratha rule.
• The Maratha Military Landscapes include hill forts, hill-forest forts, hill-plateau forts, coastal forts, and island forts.
• This variety reflects the Marathas’ adaptability and ingenuity in using the natural terrain to their advantage.

Miscellaneous – Defence

Ex. SADA TANSEEQ

India- Saudi Arabia joint military exercise ‘SadaTanseeq’ commences in Rajasthan  

About:

• The inaugural edition of India-Saudi Arabia Joint Military Exercise ‘SADA TANSEEQ’ commenced in Rajasthan.
• The Saudi Arabian contingent comprising 45 personnel is being represented by Royal Saudi Land Forces.
• The Indian Army contingent also comprising 45 personnel is being represented by a Battalion from the Brigade of the Guards (Mechanised Infantry).
• Aim of the Exercise is to train troops of both sides for Joint Operations in Semi Desert terrain under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter.
• The Exercise will enable both the sides to share their best practices in the tactics, techniques and procedures of conducting operations in sub-conventional domain.
• It will facilitate developing interoperability, bonhomie and camaraderie between troops from both the sides.
• The Exercise will involve Establishment of Mobile Vehicle Check Post, Cordon & Search Operation, House Intervention Drill, Reflex Shooting, Slithering and Sniper Firing.

Environment and Ecology

Birds of many feathers spotted in Ramnad's wetlands

In a remarkable occurrence, Oystercatcher birds, unseen along the coasts of Ramanathapuram for nearly 35 years, have made a stunning reappearance. The discovery follows a recent wetland bird census conducted across a broader range than in previous years.

Oystercatcher birds

• The oystercatchers are a group of waders forming the family Haematopodidae, which has a single genus, Haematopus. They are found on coasts worldwide apart from the polar regions and some tropical regions of Africa and South East Asia.
• The diet of oystercatchers varies with location. Species occurring inland feed upon earthworms and insect larvae.
• Nearly all species of oystercatcher are monogamous, although there are reports of polygamy in the Eurasian oystercatcher.
• The Chatham oystercatcher is endemic to the Chatham Islands of New Zealand and is listed as endangered by the IUCN, while both the African and Eurasian oystercatchers are considered near threatened.

Migratory Season in Ramanathapuram

Typically, the migratory season in Ramanathapuram spans from November to April, attracting various bird species to its water bodies and the Gulf of Mannar biosphere park, featuring an expansive mangrove area. This region serves as a crucial nesting ground for birds during their migration.

Wetland bird census 2022 - 23
No.  of survey sites:13
Species - 99
Population - 8,676

Wetland bird census 2023 - 24
No. survey sites : 26
Species - 138
Population - 26,541

Science and Technology

Bharat 5G Portal and Venture Capitalists/Investors meeting

Capitalists/Investors meeting at Bharat Telecom 2024.

About Bharat 5G portal –

• The Bharat 5G portal- an integrated portal is a comprehensive platform serving the interests of startups, industry and academia in quantum, 6G, IPR and 5G domains.
• It also features the Future Tech-Experts registration portal in collaboration with PANIIT USA, aimed to help and advise the Indian Telecom ecosystem to advance the goal of Atmanirbhar Bharat.
• The Bharat 5G Portal acts as a one-stop solution for all quantum, IPR, PoCs/Pilot, 5G and 6G-related works, capturing academic R&D developments, industry standards, OEMs, startups/MSMEs, and subject matter experts.
• It aims to propel India's 5G capabilities, foster innovation, collaboration, and knowledge-sharing within the telecom sector.
• 100+ Labs/institutions will be connected through a dedicated portal (Digital network of 100 5G Labs).
• It acts as a knowledge dissemination platform for the institutions/students/start-ups wherein 5G use cases are being tested/developed.
• Telecommunications Consultants India Limited(TCIL) is implementation agency for installation of 100 Labs and portal development.

Economy

PFRDA TRACE

PFRDA invites bids for selection of System Integrator (SI) for design, development, implementation and maintenance of  PFRDA-TRACE (Tracking Reporting Analytics & Compliance E-Platform)

About:

• It is a part of Technology Architecture (TARCH) project.
• PFRDA-TRACE will serve as a comprehensive tool for submitting regulatory and supervisory compliance reports by intermediaries, sharing reports and data with PFRDA, monitoring functions, facilitating a workflow for PFRDA departments to review and track submissions, enabling communication of observations and remarks, and incorporating a validation process for reports and data submitted by intermediaries.
• The PFRDA-TRACE is the second phase of the TARCH project, and PFRDA is selecting a System Integrator (SI) vendor specifically for this module.
• The System Integrator will be responsible for studying the existing processes, proposing improved workflows, and providing design, development, customisation, implementation, and maintenance services for PFRDA-TRACE.
• The successful bidder will play a crucial & pivotal role in PFRDA's digital transformation journey.

Economy-Trade

Maritime Single Window and MMD Modules in Sagar Setu (NLP-Marine)

Transforming India's Maritime Operations through Digitization

About:

• NLP Marine is a one-stop platform aimed at connecting all the stakeholders of the logistics community using IT.
• Soon two cutting-edge digital modules, the Maritime Single Window (MSW) and the Mercantile Maritime Department (MMD), on the Sagar Setu (NLP-M) platform.
• Maritime Single Window (MSW) module in Sagar Setu (NLP-M), is a digital platform or system that enables the electronic submission, processing, and exchange of maritime-related information and documents between government authorities, port operators, and stakeholders involved in international maritime trade.
• This module was successfully tested with the official of Directorate General of Shipping along with Shipping Agents, Trade Associations and Port Official of all Major Ports.
• Mercantile Maritime Department (MMD) module in Sagar Setu (NLP-M), which is digital platform that provides vessel detention and vessel release status information.
• MMD module will help Mercantile Maritime Department in sharing the vessel surveys information in Sagar Setu platform.
• These modules are part of the broader digital initiatives undertaken by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways to propel the maritime sector into the future.

Species in News

Environment and Ecology

Golden Tiger

A rare “Golden tiger” was recently clicked by a wildlife photographer in the Kaziranga National Park.

About:

• It has a rare "golden coat".
• Odisha is a state to establish a melanistic tiger safari – a first of its kind in the world
• More than one tiger with the golden coat are believed to be in Kaziranga but the exact estimate is not known.
• Last time it was sighted in 2019.
• Earlier a black or pseudo-melanistic tigers was sighted in the Simlipal Tiger Reserve in Odisha.
• “This tiger looks golden because it has a mutation or a genetic variant, due to which the black colour is missing.
• Basically tigers have three colours – black, orange and white. In the case of this tiger, the black colour is missing and it is slightly faded. Even the orange is faded.