Kerala CM launches first phase of K-FON

Kerala Fibre Optic Network (K-FON) Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday commissioned the first phase of the project.

The project will provide free Internet access to 20 lakh below poverty line (BPL) families, connect 30,000 government institutions and provide Internet connection at a nominal rate to the public.

Schemes related:

Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) [NITI Aayog''s Aspirational Districts programme]

• It envisages to provide 4G based mobile services in the 7,287 uncovered villages of 44 Aspirational Districts across five States. It would be **funded by the Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF).**It will enhance digital connectivity useful for self-reliance, facilitate learning, dissemination of information and knowledge, skill upgradation and development, disaster management, e-Governance initiatives, establishment of enterprises & e-commerce facilities, etc.It seeks to fulfill the vision of Digital India promoting domestic manufacturing and fulfilling the objectives of Atmanirbhar Bharat etc.
• Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF):
  • About:
    • USOF ensures that there is universal non-discriminatory access to quality ICT (Information and Communications Technology) services at economically efficient prices to people in rural and remote areas.
    • It was created under the Ministry of Communications in 2002.
    • It is a non-lapsable fund, i.e., the unspent amount under a targeted financial year does not lapse and is accrued for next years’ spending.
    • All credits to this fund require parliamentary approval and it has statutory support under Indian Telegraph (Amendment) Act, 2003.
  • Objectives:
    • Economic: Network extension & stimulate uptake of the ICT services
    • Social: Mainstreaming the underserved & un-served areas/groups by bridging the Access Gap.
    • Political: to enable citizens exercise their political rights in an informed way and
    • Constitutional: Equitable distribution of the fruits of the telecom/digital revolution and fair allocation of national resources (pooled USO levy) via targeted subsidies.
  • Significance:
    • The rural areas get the Village Public Telephones (VPTs), Rural Community Phones (RCPs), Rural Household Telephones (RDELs), and mobile infrastructure.
    • With access to affordable telecom services in remote and rural areas it can help stemming urban migration and ensure generating employment opportunities in the rural areas.
    • The increased awareness of ICT services in the rural areas and growing participation of the rural people will help promote facilities related to health, education etc.
    • It can ensure the growth of Rural Business Process Outsourcing (BPOs-Rural) and Rural Knowledge Process Outsourcing (KPOs-Rural.)
    • USOF is also perceived as the right tool to extend the benefits of the government schemes aimed at the social development of the rural population.

Jitendra Singh inaugurates ‘Lavender Festival’ in J&K’s Bhaderwah

Lavender Festival

• It is the 2nd year of the lavender revolution. Bhaderwah has emerged as the Lavender capital of India and an Agri StartUp destination.
• The Council of Scientific & Industrial Research- Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (CSIR-IIIM) in supporting farmers in the cultivation of Lavender in the Bhaderwah, Doda district, J&K under CSIR-Aroma Mission.

CSIR-Aroma Mission

• It is a flagship project of CSIR under which Lavender cultivation is being promoted in the temperate regions of J&K.
• It was launched under the Ministry of Science and Technology.
• The project aims to increase the income of small and marginal farmers and develop agriculture-based Startups.

Lavender

• It is a flowering plant in the mint family that’s easily identified by its sweet floral scent.
• It’s believed to be native to the Mediterranean, the Middle East, and India.

P2P Lending Under Scanner As RBI Quizzes Startups

Peer-to-Peer (P2P) lending

• It is done through a website that connects borrowers and lenders directly.
• Those who want to lend money, open an account with a P2P platform as a lender. And those who require a loan register themselves as a borrower.
• It enables individuals to obtain loans directly from other individuals, cutting out the financial institution as the middleman.
• In 2017, the Reserve Bank of India brought this service under its regulatory purview.
• Only an NBFC can register as a P2P lender with the permission of RBI. Every P2P lender should obtain a certificate of registration from the RBI.
• The minimum capital requirement to set up a P2P platform is fixed at Rs. 2 Crores.

District Legal Services Authority West Tripura organizes Door

District Legal Services Authority

• It is formed under Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987 to provide free legal aid and services to the weaker sections of this society to make sure that opportunities for securing justice are not denied to any citizen because of economic or other disabilities.
• It is a statutory body organized at the district level to provide effective monitoring of legal aid programmes and their composition.
• Legal Services Authorities are statutory bodies that are formed or constituted in the various states of India by the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987.
• Constitutional provision:
  • **Article 39-A:**Deals with the provision of providing free legal services to the citizens of India.
  • The provision applies to the citizens if they are unable to bear the expenditure of legal services. It also helps the defendant in a case by appointing a lawyer to act for him in legal aspects.
• Composition of DLSA
  • It is a body that shall be constituted by the State Government in consultation with the Chief Justice of the High Court.
  • The act provides that a District Authority requires the district judge as its chairman.
  • It shall also consist of a number of other members who have the experience and qualifications as prescribed by the State Government.
  • The members possessing such requirements may be nominated by the Government in consultation with the Chief Justice of the High Court.
  • The person to be appointed shall belong to the State Judicial Service not lowers than rank than that of a Subordinate Judge or Civil Judge posted at the seat of the District Judiciary as Secretary of the District Authority.
  • The Assistant Commissioner of the concerned District acts as the Member Secretary of the District Authority.
• The officers and other employees of the District Authority are entitled to salary and allowances and shall also be subject to such other conditions of the services as the State Government in consultation with the Chief Justice of the High Court prescribes

Odisha tribal women earn big with mahua ladoos

Van Dhan Vikas Kendras

• The Ministry of Tribal Affairs and Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED) launched the Van Dhan scheme in 2018 to improve tribal income through the value addition of tribal products.
• The Van Dhan Vikas Kendra Clusters provide the Van Dhan Vikas Kendras economies of scale, livelihood and market linkages, as well as entrepreneurship opportunities to Tribal forest gatherers.

Mahua Tree

• It is mainly cultivated or harvested in the wild in Southern Asia for its edible flowers and oil seeds.
• It is commonly known as madhūka, madkam, mahuwa, Butter Tree, mahua, mahwa, mohulo, Iluppai , Mee or vippa chettu.
• It is a frost resistant species that can grow in marginal areas of dry tropical and subtropical forests up to an altitude of 1200-1800 m.
• It can be found scattered in pastures, in crop fields in central India, and on rivers banks in semi-evergreen forests.
• It grows well where annual rainfall is between 500 mm to 1500 mm, and where temperatures are in the range of 2-46°C.
• It requires loamy or sandy-loam soils with good drainage and also occurs on shallow stony, clayey and calcareous soils.

IIT Madras retains top position in overall ranking,  NIRF 2023

• Indian Institute of Technology Madras retains its 1st position in Overall Category and Engineering.
• Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru tops the Universities Category and stood first in Research Institutions Category.
• IIM Ahmedabad tops in Management subject retaining its first position.
• All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi occupies the top slot in Medical.
• National Law School of India University, Bengaluru retains its first position.
• Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi takes the top slot in Agriculture and Allied Sectors.
• Three distinct additions to the 2023 edition of India Rankings are as follows:
  • Introduction of a new subject namely Agriculture & Allied Sectors.
  • Integration of the “Innovation” ranking previously executed by the Atal Ranking of Institutions on Innovation Achievements (ARIIA) into the India Rankings to reduce the burden on institutions of providing similar data to two different agencies.
  • Expansion of scope of “Architecture” to “Architecture and Planning” to include institutions imparting courses in Urban and Town Planning.
• With the addition of these the existing portfolio of India Rankings has increased to 13 categories and subject domains that have been ranked in India Rankings 2023.
• It ranks Overall, University, Colleges, Research Institutions & Innovation and also 8 subject domains, namely Engineering, Management, Pharmacy, Architecture & Planning, Medical, Law, Dental Agriculture and Allied Sectors.
• Five broad categories of parameters are identified in the NIRF: Teaching, learning and resources (TLR); research and professional practice; graduation outcome; outreach; and inclusivity and perception.

Norovirus outbreak on celebrity ship: More than 175 down with symptoms, cruise implements rigorous measures

Norovirus

• It is a common and very contagious virus.
• It causes nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.
• It is also sometimes referred to as the ‘stomach flu’ or the ‘ winter vomiting bug’.
• People of all ages can get infected and sick with norovirus , which spreads very easily and quickly**.**
• You can get norovirus illness many times in your life because there are many different types of noroviruses.
• Transmission:
  • They commonly spread through food or water that is contaminated during preparation or through contaminated surfaces.
  • Noroviruses can also spread through close contact with a person who has norovirus infection.
• Symptoms:
  • The initial symptoms of norovirus are vomiting and/or diarrhoea, which show up one or two days after exposure to the virus.
  • Patients also feel nauseous, and suffer from abdominal pain, fever, headaches and body aches.
  • In extreme cases, loss of fluids could lead to dehydration.
• Treatment:
  • No vaccines are currently available to prevent norovirus. Treatment for the infection focuses on relieving your symptoms.
  • It is important to maintain hydration in the acute phase. In extreme cases, patients have to be administered rehydration fluids intravenously.

Primate genome study offers some clues

• The most comprehensive genomic study ever on primates - a group whose membership includes lemurs, monkeys, apes and people - has revealed pivotal genetic traits that are uniquely human while refining the timeline for our evolutionary lineage's split from our closest cousins, the chimpanzees and bonobos.
• Researchers said they sequenced and analyzed the genomes of 233 primate species, comprising nearly half of those alive today, and surprisingly discovered that most boast greater genetic diversity - variation within a species that is vital for adaptation to changing environments and other challenges - than humans.
• While some genetic variations previously thought to be exclusive to people were found in other primate species, the researchers pinpointed others that were uniquely human involving brain function and development. They also used the primate genomes to train an artificial intelligence algorithm to predict disease-causing genetic mutations in humans.
• "Studying primate genomic diversity is not only important in the face of the ongoing biodiversity crisis, but also has huge potential to improve our understanding of human diseases," said genomicist Lukas Kuderna of the Barcelona Biomedical Research Park's Institute of Evolutionary Biology in Spain and Illumina Inc, lead author of the main paper on the research published in the journal Science.
• There are more than 500 species of primates, including lemurs, lorises, tarsiers, Old and New World monkeys, the "small apes" - gibbons and siamangs - and the "great apes" - orangutans, gorillas, chimpanzees and bonobos. Lemurs and lorises are the least related to humans among primates.

•  "Primates are a diverse order of mammals to which we humans belong, which are characterized by traits such as large brains, high dexterity - with most species having opposable thumbs - and good vision. They inhabit the Americas, Africa including Madagascar, and Asia," Kuderna said.

Chimpanzees and bonobos are the nearest genetically to humans, sharing roughly 98.8% of our DNA.

• The study adjusted the timeline for the divergence of the evolutionary lineage that led to people and the one that led to chimpanzees and bonobos, finding this milestone occurred 6.9 million to 9 million years ago, slightly longer ago than previously estimated.
• The human lineage, through a succession of species, subsequently acquired key characteristics such as bipedalism, longer limbs and a larger brain. Our species Homo sapiens arose roughly 300,000 years ago in Africa before spreading worldwide.
• The study explored the origins of primates as a group. The last common ancestor of all extant primates lived between 63.3 million and 58.3 million years ago during a time of remarkable evolutionary innovation in the aftermath of the asteroid strike 66 million years ago that doomed the dinosaurs and allowed mammals to achieve dominance.
• Human-related threats such as habitat destruction, climate change and hunting have left about 60% of primate species threatened with extinction and about 75% with declining populations.
• "The vast majority of primate species have significantly more genetic variation per individual than do humans," said genomicist and study co-author Jeffrey Rogers of the Baylor College of Medicine in Texas. "This shows that there were likely multiple significant population bottlenecks that have altered the amount and nature of genetic variation in ancient human populations."
• The genome data can help identify the primate species in the most dire need of conservation efforts.

The study covered some of the most endangered primates. These included the Western black crested gibbon, with an estimated 1,500 left in the wild scattered in China, Laos and Vietnam, and the northern sportive lemur, with roughly 40 remaining in the wild in a small area of northern Madagascar.

"Interestingly, we find genetic diversity to be a poor predictor of extinction risk overall," Kuderna said. "This could be because primate populations of different species have declined so quickly that their genetics has not yet had time to catch up and reflect that loss of population size."

• The most comprehensive genomic study ever on primates - a group whose membership includes lemurs, monkeys, apes and people - has revealed pivotal genetic traits that are uniquely human while refining the timeline for our evolutionary lineage’s split from our closest cousins, the chimpanzees and bonobos.
• Researchers said they sequenced and analyzed the genomes of 233 primate species, comprising nearly half of those alive today, and surprisingly discovered that most boast greater genetic diversity - variation within a species that is vital for adaptation to changing environments and other challenges - than humans.
• While some genetic variations previously thought to be exclusive to people were found in other primate species, the researchers pinpointed others that were uniquely human involving brain function and development.

Indian Navy MARCOS Arrive In Maldives For Sixth Edition Of Exercise ''Ekatha''

Ekatha

• It is an annual exercise conducted between the navies of India and Maldives.
• Objective: To enhance interoperability in diving and special operations.

India-Maldives relation

• The location of the Maldives, at the intersection of commercial sea-lanes running through the Indian Ocean, makes it strategically important for India, particularly in the light of China’s growing aggression in the region.
• India was among the first to recognise Maldives after its independence in 1965 and to establish diplomatic relations with the country.
• India established its mission at the level of CDA in 1972 and resident High Commissioner in 1980.
• Maldives opened a full fledged High Commission in New Delhi in November 2004, at that time one of its only four diplomatic missions worldwide.
• India and Maldives signed a trade agreement in 1981, which provides for export of essential commodities.
• Since 1988, defence and security have been major areas of cooperation between India and Maldives.
• India provides the largest number of training opportunities for Maldivian National Defence Force (MNDF), meeting around 70 per cent of their defence training requirements.
• In 2016, the two countries also signed a comprehensive action plan to consolidate defence partnership.
• Exercise Ekuverin: The Indian Army and the Maldives National Defence Forces have been conducting Exercise Ekuverin meaning ‘Friends’ in the Dhivehi language since 2009.

In answer to an RTI request, the Archaeological Survey of India’s (ASI) Public Information Officer stated that information on who built the Agra Fort is not available with his office.

Agra Fort

• Location:
  • It is a large 16th-century fortress of red sandstone located on the banks of Yamuna River in the historic city of Agra, west-central Uttar Pradesh.
  • It is about 5 km northwest of its more famous sister monument, the Taj Mahal.
• History:
  • It was built under the commission of Emperor Akbar in 1565.
  • It was only during the reign of Akbar’s grandson**, Shah Jahan**, that the site took on its current state.
  • It was the main residence of the emperors of the Mughal Dynasty till 1638, when the capital was shifted from Agra to Delhi.
  • The fort was invaded and captured by the Maratha Empire in the early 18th century. Thereafter, it changed hands between the Marathas and their foes many times.
  • After their catastrophic defeat at Third Battle of Panipat by Ahmad Shah Abdali in 1761, Marathas remained out of the region for the next decade. Finally Mahadji Shinde took the fort in 1785.
  • It was lost by the Marathas to the British during the Second Anglo-Maratha War, in 1803.
  • The fort was the site of a battle during the Indian rebellion of 1857, which caused the end of the British East India Company’s rule in India, and led to a century of direct rule of India by Britain.
• Features:
  • The fort is crescent-shaped, with a long, nearly straight wall facing the Yamuna river on the east side.
  • The fort houses a maze of buildings, including vast underground sections.
  • The outer wall is surrounded by a wide and deep moat on three sides.
  • The Agra Fort has four main gateways- the Khizri Gate, Amar Singh Gate, Delhi Gate and Ghazni Gate.
  • Among the major attractions in the fort is Jahāngīr’s Palace (Jahāngīri Mahal), built by Akbar as a private palace for his son Jahāngir.
• The fort complex was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1983.

Tiger Dies After Being Found Injured In Pond

Kanha Tiger Reserve (KTR)

• Kanha Tiger Reserve, also called Kanha National Park, is the largest national park of Madhya Pradesh.
• Location:
  • It is located in the Mandla and Balaghat districts of Madhya Pradesh.
  • It is nestled in the Maikal range of Satpuras, the heart of India that forms the central Indian highlands.
• Kanha National Park was created on 1 June 1955, and in 1973 was made the Kanha Tiger Reserve.
• The forest depicted in the famous novel by Rudyard Kipling, The Jungle Book, is thought by some to be based on jungles, including this reserve.
• It is also the first tiger reserve in India to officially introduce a mascot, "Bhoorsingh the Barasingha".
• Flora:
  • The lowland forest is a mixture of sal (Shorea robusta) and other mixed forest trees interspersed with meadows.
  • The highland forests are tropical moist dry deciduous type and of a completely different nature with bamboo on slopes (Dendrocalamus strictus).
• Fauna:
  • The park has a significant population of Royal Bengal Tiger, leopards, the sloth bear and Indian wild dog.
  • The Park is respected globally for saving the Barasingha (the state animal of Madhya Pradesh) from near extinction.

Bitumen used in road construction major cause of pollution

Bitumen

• It is a dense, highly viscous, petroleum-based hydrocarbon.
• It is found in deposits such as oil sands and pitch lakes(natural bitumen) or is obtained as a residue of the distillation of crude oil.
• At the temperatures normally encountered in natural deposits, bitumen will not flow. In order to be moved through a pipe, it must be heated and, in some cases, diluted with a lighter oil.
• Bitumen can deform permanently under heavy loads. Continued stress on the material can result in cracking.
• Composition:
  • It owes its density and viscosity to its chemical composition—mainly large hydrocarbon molecules known as asphaltenes and resins, which are present in lighter oils but are highly concentrated in bitumen.
  • In addition, bitumen frequently has a high content of metals, such as nickel and vanadium, and nonmetallic inorganic elements, such as nitrogen, oxygen, and sulfur.
• Uses:
  • Bitumen is known for its waterproofing and adhesive properties and is commonly used in the construction industry, notably for roads and highways.
  • It is commonly used to waterproof boats and other marine vessels.
  • It is also used by companies that create and manufacture roofing products.
  • It is used for sealing and insulating purposes in various building materials such as carpet tile backing and paint.