Facts in News

Facts in News

Hunar Haat

• The Union Ministry of Minority Affairs has set a target to provide employment opportunities to 7 lakh 50 thousand artisans, craftsmen through 75 “Hunar Haat”.
• It will be organised across the country as a part of the “Amrit Mahotsav” of 75 years of India’s Independence.

Key Points 

• Hunar Haat is an exhibition of handicrafts and traditional products made by artisans from the minority communities.
• It will be organized with the resolve of “Vocal for Local” in all parts of the country, where artisans, craftsmen from every region of the country will exhibit and sell their handmade indigenous products.

Significance

• It is a “perfect platform” to promote indigenous products of artisans and craftsmen from across the country.
• has proved to be an “Empowerment Exchange” for master artisans and craftsmen.
• It has provided employment and employment opportunities to more than five lakh artisans, craftsmen and artists.

Slender Loris

• The Slender Loris is a small, nocturnal primate. 
• Scientific Name: Loris tardigradus

• Habitat: It prefers to inhabit thick, thorny bushes and bamboo clumps where it can evade predators.
  • It is commonly found in the tropical scrub and deciduous forests as well as the dense hedgerow plantations bordering farmlands of Southern India and Sri Lanka.
  • Being arboreal, they spend most of their life on the trees. 

• Characteristics: These animals are about 25 cm long and have long, thin arms. They have a small, vestigial tail.
  • Their most prominent feature is the pair of two large, closely set, brown eyes. 
  • They either hunt on their own or in pairs. They are known to be very social at dusk and dawn, interacting with others of their own
  • They are fond of lantana berries and also eat insects, lizards, small birds, tree frogs, tender leaves and buds.
  • They are usually solitary but sometimes found in pairs. 

• Threats: These animals have some medicinal properties, therefore they are captured and illegally smuggled.
  • Habitat loss, electrocution of live wires and road accidents are other threats that have caused its populations to dwindle.   

• Conservation: The slender loris has been listed as ‘Endangered’ by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.
  • It has been brought under Schedule I of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 in order to provide the highest level of legal protection.

                Image Courtesy: DTE

LCA ‘Tejas’ Mk-1A 

• Recently, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) signed a $716 mn deal with the U.S. for 99 F404 aircraft engines and support services that will power the indigenous Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Mk-1A.

Light Combat Aircrafts (LCA) ‘Tejas’ Mk-1A Variant

• It is an advanced version of LCA Mk1.
• It is a supersonic fighter at all altitudes for air combat which can carry a payload of 3,500 kg and it is best suited for offensive air support.
  • Supersonic speed is the speed of an object that exceeds the speed of sound (Mach 1).
• This aircraft is equipped with critical operational capabilities of Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) Radar, Beyond Visual Range (BVR) Missile, Electronic Warfare (EW) Suite and Air to Air Refuelling (AAR).

Tejas

• It is a single-engine, lightweight, highly agile, multi-role supersonic fighter.
•  It has a quadruplex digital fly-by-wire Flight Control System (FCS) with associated advanced flight control laws.
• The aircraft with delta wing is designed for ‘air combat’ and ‘offensive air support’ with ‘reconnaissance’ and ‘anti-ship’ as its secondary roles.
• It is designed and developed by the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) of the Indian Department of Defence, with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) as the prime industrial contractor.

Financial Inclusion Index (FI-Index)

• Recently, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has created a composite Financial Inclusion Index (FI-Index) to capture the extent of financial inclusion across the country.
  • Financial inclusion is a method of offering banking and financial services to individuals. 

About

• Conceptualised as a comprehensive index.
• Incorporates details of banking, investments, insurance, postal as well as the pension sector, in consultation with government and respective sectoral regulators.

• Parameters: It comprises three broad parameters with each of these consisting of dimensions computed based on many indicators:
  • Access (35%), 
  • Usage (45%), and 
  • Quality (20%)
• Range: 0-100, where 0 represents complete financial exclusion and 100 indicates full financial inclusion.
• Unique Feature: Quality parameter, which captures the quality aspect of financial inclusion as reflected by the financial literacy, consumer protection, and inequalities and deficiencies in services.
• The Index is also responsive to the ease of access, availability and the usage of services, and the quality of services, comprising all 97 indicators.
• Published annually in July every year.
• No Base Year: It has been constructed without any ‘base year’, and as such it reflects cumulative efforts of all stakeholders over the years towards financial inclusion.

National Bio Entrepreneurship Competition (NBEC)

• Recently, the fifth edition of the National Bio Entrepreneurship Competition (NBEC) has been launched.

About

• NBEC is India’s largest and most prestigious national competition for bio-entrepreneurs.
• Objective: To identify and nurture deep science-driven business ideas in the life sciences domain that has the potential to break new ground in addressing societal challenges.
• Held annually.
• Organised by: Bengaluru-based Centre for Cellular and Molecular Platforms (C-CAMP) in partnership with Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC).
• Participation: 
  • Over 30 industry and investment partners have come forward to encourage and support bio-entrepreneurship in India.
  • Reach out to Student Teams, Entrepreneurs, Individuals, Start-ups and established Companies across India.
• Prizes: An unprecedented sum of Rs 8.5 crore in cash prizes and investment opportunities this year for winners.
• Significance:
  • NBEC is a wonderful example of how all stakeholders can come together in mission mode to energise the ecosystem. 
  • It is a very exciting competition because it unleashes new ideas and entrepreneurial potential of our young people year upon year.
• C-CAMP 
  • It is an initiative supported by the Department of Biotechnology.
  • Acts as an enabler or catalyst of cutting-edge research and innovation in the life sciences. 

Odisha Plans ‘odyssey’ to Wild Cattle Island

• The Odisha Forest and Environment Department is all set to begin ‘Island Odyssey’ and ‘Hirakud Cruise’ ecotourism packages for tourists on islands inside the reservoir.

About

• ‘Cattle island’: 
  • One of three islands in the Hirakud reservoir, has been selected as a sight-seeing destination.
  • During the resettlement period after the Hirakud dam’s construction was over, villagers left.
  • A massive herd of cattle has grown here wild in the forests of the island in decades thereafter.
• ‘Island of Bats’: 
  • Also within the reservoir, just 1 km away from the Debrigarh ecotourism project.
  • It is the habitat of hundreds of bats. 
  • Tourists will get the opportunity to see the bats on the island from a distance.
  • 12 local fishermen families have been enrolled for conservation of the island.
• ‘Sunset island’:
  • It is one of the three stops on the unique boat ride.
  • Tourists can also get a magnificent view of the sunset from the reservoir.