Bor seeks ₹1 crore for tourism development at Hingni, Bangdapur

About Bor Tiger Reserve:

• It is a wildlife sanctuary which was declared a tiger reserve in July 2014.
• Location: It is located in the Wardha District of Maharashtra. 
• It is the smallest tiger reserve in India by area.
• The reserve covers an area of 138.12 sq. km, which includes the drainage basin of the Bor Dam.
• It is centrally located among several other Bengal Tiger habitats.
• Towards the northeast lies the Pench Tiger Reserve, towards the east is Nagzira Navegaon Tiger Reserve, and to the southeast is Karhandla Wildlife Sanctuary.
• The Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve is located to the southeast, Melghat Tiger Reserve stands to the west; Satpura Tiger Reserve lies to the north-west.
• Vegetation: The area is populated by Dry Deciduous Forest type.
• Flora: Teak, tendu, bamboo, tarot, and gokhru are some of the abundant species.
• Fauna: Apart from tigers, the reserve is home to several other mammals like leopards, sloth bears, sambar deer, Indian bison (gaur), chital, wild boars, and more.

2024 brings a breather on inflation but food prices are still sticky

About Retail Inflation:

• Retail inflation, also known as Consumer Price Index (CPI)inflation, tracks the change in retail prices of goods and services which households purchase for their daily consumption.
• CPI is calculated for a fixed basket of goods and services that may or may not be altered by the government from time to time.
• The change in the price index over a period of time is referred to as CPI-based inflation or retail inflation.
• What Does the CPI tell? Following are a few things that the CPI index interprets:
• Cost of living
• The purchasing power of consumers
• The expensiveness of different articles that consumers buy and services that are availed
• Value of the Indian rupee
• How is CPI calculated?
• CPI is calculated as a percentage. It is a comparison of the general price level in the markets in a particular time period from a time frame in the past. This is known as the base year.
• CPI, therefore, is calculated by referring to a base year, which is a benchmark. Currently, the base year is 2012.
• The National Statistical Office (NSO), Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) compiles All India as well as state-wise CPI for Rural, Urban, and Combined sectors and releases the CPI numbers every month.
• How is the Consumer Price Index (CPI) Used?
• It is used as a macroeconomic indicator of inflation, as a tool by the central bank and government for inflation targeting and for inspecting price stability, and as a deflator in the national accounts.
• CPI also helps understand the real value of salaries, wages, and pensions, the purchasing power of the nation’s currency, and regulating rates.

Equal access. Personal guarantors’ insolvency: IBBI mandates Resolution Professionals to provide reports to both debtor and creditor for enhanced transparency

About the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI):

• The IBBI was established on October 1, 2016, in accordance with the provisions of the ‘Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016’.
• It is responsible for the implementation of the IBC. The IBC amends and consolidates the laws relating to the insolvency resolution of individuals, partnership firms, and corporate persons in a time-bound manner. 
• The IBBI regulates professionals as well as processes.
• It has regulatory oversight over insolvency professional agencies, insolvency professional entities, insolvency professionals, and information utilities.
• It enforces rules for processes of corporate insolvency resolution, individual insolvency resolution, corporate liquidation, and individual bankruptcy under the IBC.
• It has also been designated as the ‘Authority’ under the Companies (Registered Valuers and Valuation Rules), 2017 for the regulation and development of the profession of valuers in the country.
• Constitution of the Board: The Board consists of the following members who are appointed by the Central Government: 
• A Chairperson. 
• Three members from among the officers of the Central Government equivalent or not below the rank of a Joint Secretary. Out of the three members, each will represent the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, and the Ministry of Law, ex-officio. 
• One member nominated by the RBI (Reserve Bank of India), ex-officio. 
• Five other members are nominated by the Central Government, out of which at least three should be whole-time members. 
• The term of office of the Chairperson and members (other than ex-officio members) is five years or until they attain sixty-five years, whichever is earlier, and they are eligible for re-appointment.

Bond Yields To Soften With Moderating Inflation, Says RBI Governor

What is a Bond?

• A bond is a fixed-income instrument that represents a loan made by an investor to a borrower (typically corporate or governmental) for a set period of time in return for regular interest payments.
• The time from when the bond is issued to when the borrower has agreed to pay the loan back is called its ‘term to maturity’. 
• The bond issuer uses the money raised from bonds to undertake various activities, such as funding expansion projects, refinancing existing debt, undertaking welfare activities, etc. 

What is Bond Yield?  

• It is the return an investor expects to receive each year over its term to maturity.
• It partially depends on coupon payments, which refer to the periodic interest income obtained as a reward for holding bonds.
• The bondholders receive the bond’s face value at the end of the bond’s life. However, one may buy bonds at par value, discount (at a price lower than par value), or premium(at a price higher than par value) as they trade in the secondary market. 
• Therefore, the prevailing market price of bonds also affects the bond yield.
• It is calculated by using the following formula:
• Bond Yield= Coupon Amount/ Price
• Bond Yield vs. Price:
• Price and yield are inversely related.
• As the price of a bond goes up, its yield goes down, and as yield goes up, the price of the bond goes down.
• Example: Suppose interest rates fall. New bonds that are issued will now offer lower interest payments. This makes existing bonds that were issued before the fall in interest rates more valuable to investors because they offer higher interest payments compared to new bonds. As a result, the price of existing bonds will increase.
• However, if a bond''s price increases, it is now more expensive for a potential new investor to buy. The bond''s yield will then fall because the return an investor expects from purchasing this bond is now lower.

Can India secure the top spot in reported bird species this year?

About Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC):

• It is an annual, four-day event that engages bird enthusiasts of all ages around the world in counting birds to create a real-time snapshot of where the birds are. 
• It was launched in 1998 by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society.
• It was established to help researchers learn more about how birds are doing and how to protect them and the environment.
• How is it done? Participants count birds for as little as 15 minutes (or as long as they wish) on one or more days of the four-day event and report their sightings online.
• Who can participate? Anyone can take part in the Great Backyard Bird Count, from beginner bird watchers to experts. One can participate from his/her backyard, or anywhere in the world.
• Significance: Each checklist submitted during the GBBC helps researchers at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society learn more about how birds are distributed across the country and how they are affected by changes in habitat and weather.
• India and GBBC:
• Indian birders have participated in the GBBC since 2013.
• In India, GBBC is coordinated by the Bird Count India (BCI) collective, a coming-together of a number of groups and organisations that are interested in birds, nature, and conservation.

Hastsal Minar: Shrouded in mystery, a Mughal-era symbol of glory is now a picture of neglect

About Hastsal Minar:

• Location: It is located in a small village in western Delhi.
• Its construction was finished in 1634 during the reign of Mughal emperor Shah Jahan.
• It is also known as Mini Qutab Minar.
• Among the locals, it is also known as Hastsal Ki Laat and Kaushal Minar.
• Architecture
• It was constructed using lakhori bricks and clad with red sandstone.
• The minar is 17 metres (five storeys) tall, standing on a square platform and with an octagonal body.
• A staircase inside the five-storey tower led to the domed Chhatri pavilion at the top. 
• It has three storeys, each with a reducing diameter, and is accessible through a narrow staircase
• Shah Jahan utilised Hastsal as one of his hunting lodges during the 17th century.
• Present condition:
• In 2018, the minaret was deemed as Grade A in heritage value and was given permission to be conserved under Phase IV of the Delhi government’s project to protect lesser-known monuments in the capital.