Two Rhinos Return to Assam Wildlife Sanctuary After 40 Years.

• Two rhinos have recently returned to the Laokhowa and Burhachapori Wildlife Sanctuary after almost a 40-year gap following a successful anti-encroachment operation.
• The Laokhowa and Burhachapori Wildlife Sanctuaries are two centrally located Protected Areas (PAs) of Assam.
• They are located on the southern bank of the river Brahmaputra.
• In fact, though these two wildlife sanctuaries have two different names, they are ecologically and geographically a singular entity.
• They are surrounded by many key PAs like Kaziranga National Park to the east, Orang National Park and Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuaries to the west, Pakke-Nameri NPs to the north, and the rich reserve forests of Karbi Anglong to the south.
• They act as a connecting corridor for the migration of animals between Kaziranga and Orang National parks and hence, has been identified as buffer zones of Kaziranga Tiger Reserve.
• Landscape: It comprises of a mosaic of wet alluvial grassland, riparian, and semi-evergreen forests dotted by wetland and river systems.

Flora:

• A unique vegetation of this sanctuary is the abundance of freshwater mangrove trees.
• There are many species of trees and medicinal plants in the sanctuary. Trees like simul, korai, ajar, hijal, etc.are found in the area.

Fauna:

• It is home to the Great Indian one-horned rhinoceros, tiger, leopard, wild buffalo, hog deer, wild pig, and elephants.
• The highly endangered Gangetic River Dolphins are still seen in the waters of the Brahmaputra River adjacent to these PAs.
• The numerous natural and perennial wetlands are functioning as breeding grounds for various kinds of local fish species and highly important bird species such as Storks like Adjutant, Lesser Adjutant, White Stork, Black Necked Stork, Black Stork etc.

Nasa telescope rings in 2024 by capturing two mega star explosions in space.

• NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory recently captured a stunning image of 30 Doradus B, a supernova remnant that is part of a vibrant region of space where stars have been forming for millions of years.
• The team of astronomers studying the remnant discovered that it could not have been formed by a single supernova. Instead, the researchers believe it was created by at least two.

What is a Supernova?

• A supernova is the explosion of a star whose luminosity after an eruption suddenly increases many millions of times its normal level.
• Supernovas are "the largest explosion that takes place in space."
• A star can go supernova in one of two ways:
• Type I supernova: Thestar accumulates matter from a nearby neighbour until a runaway nuclear reaction ignites.
• Type II supernova: Thestar runs out of nuclear fuel and collapses under its own gravity.
• Supernovas can briefly outshine entire galaxiesand radiate more energy than our sun will in its entire lifetime.
• They''re also the primary source of heavy elements in the universe.
• They heat up the interstellar medium, distribute heavy elements throughout the Galaxy, and accelerate cosmic rays.

Key Facts about NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory:

• It is a telescope specially designed to detect X-ray emission from very hot regions of the Universe, such as exploded stars, clusters of galaxies, and matter around black holes.
• It was launched by NASA on July 23, 1999.
• Because X-rays are absorbed by Earth’s atmosphere, Chandra must orbit above it, up to an altitude of 139,000 km (86,500 mi) in space.

RBI gives clarity to ''politically exposed persons'' term to meet FATF norms.

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) updated Know Your Customer (KYC) norms for politically exposed persons (PEPs) who transact with regulated entities (REs), seeking to comply with the recommendations of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).
• Who are PEPs? In the amended KYC master direction, the central bank defines PEPs as "individuals who are or have been entrusted with prominent public functions by a foreign country, including the heads of states/governments, senior politicians, senior government or judicial or military officers, senior executives of state-owned corporations, and important political party officials".
• REs have the option of establishing a relationship with PEPs (whether as customers or beneficial owners).
• REs have to perform regular customer due diligence and also follow additional conditions prescribed by the RBI to transact with PEPs.
• Some additional conditions include establishing an appropriate risk management system to determine whether the customer or the beneficial owner is a PEP.
• REs have to take reasonable measures to establish the source of funds/ wealth.
• They also need to get approval from senior management to open an account for a PEP.

Key Facts about Financial Action Task Force (FATF):

• FATF is an inter-governmental policy-making and standard-setting body dedicated to combating money laundering and terrorist financing.
• It was established in 1989 during the G7 Summitin Paris to develop policies against money laundering.
• In 2001 its mandate expanded to include terrorism financing.
• Headquarters: Paris, France.
• FATF members include 39 countries, including the United States, India, China, Saudi Arabia, Britain, Germany, France, and the EU as such.
• India became a member of FATF in 2010.
• What are FATF ''grey list'' and ''blacklist''?
• FATF has 2 types of lists:
• Black List: Countries known as Non-Cooperative Countries or Territories (NCCTs) are put on the blacklist. These countries support terror funding and money laundering
• Grey List: Countries that are considered a safe haven for supporting terror funding and money laundering are put on the FATF grey list. This inclusion serves as a warning to the country that it may enter the blacklist.
• Three countries North Korea, Iran, and Myanmar are currently on FATF’s blacklist.
• Consequences of being on the FATF blacklist:
• No financial aid is given to them by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank (ADB), and the European Union (EU).
• They also face a number of international economic and financial restrictions and sanctions.

Toxic foam on Indrayani river again.

• Indrayani River is a tributary of the Bhima River, which again is a tributary of the Krishna River.

Course:

• It originates in Kurvande village near Lonavla, a hill station in the Sahyadri mountains of Maharashtra.
• Fed by rain, it flows east from there to meet the Bhima River.
• It follows a course mostly north of the city of Pune.
• The river has great religious importance, and the two sacred towns of Alandi and Dehu are situated on its banks.
• Dehu is known to be a sacred place for being the hometown of the poet Saint Tukaram, who was a popular saint of Maharashtra, and Alandi holds the samadhi of the poet Dnyaneshwar.
• Valvan Dam at Kamshet, situated on the Indrayani River, is a hydroelectric generating station.

Key Facts about Bhima River:

• The Bhima River (also known as the Chandrabagha River)is a major river in southwest India.
• It is a major tributary of the Krishna River.
• Course:
• It originates in the Bhimashankar hillsnear Karjat in the Western Ghats, in the Pune District of Maharashtra.
• Bhima flows southeast through the states of Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Telangana.
• The Bhima River merges into the Krishna River at Kadlur (Raichur) in Karnataka.
• This 861 km-long river has the Western Ghats on the west, the Balaghat Range in the north, and the Mahadeo Hills in the south.
• The total basin area of the river is 48,631 sq. km, out of which 75 percent lie in the state of Maharashtra.
• Major tributaries are the Sina and Nira rivers.
• Pandharpur is an important pilgrimage centrelocated on the right bank of the Bhima River.

Supreme Court dismisses plea seeking to declare Netaji as ‘son of the nation’.

• Leaders like Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose are “immortal” and do not need bestowing of a recognition through a judicial diktat.
• Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose was an Indian nationalist leader who was a key figure in the Indian independence movement against British colonial rule.
• He was born on January 23, 1897, in Cuttack, Bengal (now Orissa.)
• In 1920, he passed the civil service examination, but in April 1921, after hearing of the nationalist turmoil in India, he resigned from his position.
• Bose then joined the Indian National Congress and actively participated in the Indian independence movement.
• Bose at first worked with C.R. Das in Bengal, under whose mentorship he flowered.
• He was a close associate of Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru.
• Bose was elected president of the Indian National Congress for two consecutive terms but resigned from the post following ideological conflicts with Mahatma Gandhi.
• In 1939, he formed the Forward Bloc, an organization aimed at unifying all the anti-British forces in India.
• Netaji was strongly influenced by Swami Vivekananda’s teaching and was known for his patriotic zeal as a student.
• At the outset of the Second World War, he fled from India and traveled to the Soviet Union, Germany and Japan, seeking an alliance with the aim of attacking the British in India.
• With Japanese assistance, he reorganized and later led the Indian National Army, formed from Indian prisoners-of-war and plantation workers from Malaya, Singapore, and other parts of Southeast Asia, against British forces.
• With Japanese monetary, political, diplomatic, and military assistance, he formed the Azad Hind Government in exile, and regrouped, and led the Indian National Army in battle against the allies at Imphal and in Burma.

Remote Bengal village began New Year with workshop on ancient indigenous art i.e. Sohrai Painting.

• Sohrai Painting is an indigenous mural art form.
• It is also interesting to note that the word ‘Sohrai’ comes from soro – translating to ‘to drive with a stick’.
• This art form dates back to the Meso-chalcolithic period (9000-5000 BC).
• The Isko rock shelter excavated in Barkagaon, Hazaribagh area also has rock paintings that are exactly similar to the traditional Sohrai paintings.
• Theme: It is usually based on natural elements of the universe, this includes forests, rivers, animals amongst others.
• These ancient paintings are made by tribal (Adivasi) women with the use of natural substances like charcoal, clay, or soil.
• The very primitive form of the Sohrai art was in the form of cave paintings.
• It is practiced by indigenous communities, particularly in the States of Jharkhand, Bihar, Odisha, and West Bengal.
• The region of Hazaribagh in Jharkhand that has received the GI tag for this art form.
• It is the art of the women of the Kurmi, Santhal, Munda, Oraon, Agaria, Ghatwal tribes.
• Sohrai paintings are distinctive for their vibrant colours, intricate patterns, and symbolic motifs;
• There is a Sohrai festival held every year, marking the harvesting season and the arrival of winter.

Central Tuber Crops Research Institute issues advisory on using parts of tapioca plant to feed cattle.

• The ICAR-Central Tuber Crops Research Institute (CTCRI) here has issued an advisory on feeding animals with parts of cassava (tapioca) in view of the incident in Idukki where 13 cows died in a farm.
• Tapioca plant is a major horticulture cropcultivated on nearly 3 lakh hectares in Tamil Nadu, producing 60 lakh tonnes of the crop.
• It is cultivated throughout the tropical world for its tuberous roots, from which cassava flour, breads, tapioca, a laundry starch, and an alcoholic beverage are derived.

Climatic conditions required

• Soil: Any well-drained soil, preferably red lateritic loamy soil.
• It thrives best in a tropical, warm, humid climate
• Rainfall:Well-distributed rainfall of over 100 cm per annum.
• This crop can be cultivated upto an elevation of 1000 m.
• All parts of cassava/tapioca – leaves, stem, tuber and rind – contain the compounds called cyanogenic glucosides (CNGs), that is, linamarin and lotaustralin which are hydrolysed by endogenous enzyme linamarase to acetone cyanohydrin which may break down spontaneously liberating free hydrogen cyanide.
• Both acetone cyanohydrin and free cyanide are toxic.
• Its leaves contain about 10 times higher amount of CNGs than roots.
• The CNG content of cassava leaves decreases with the increase in the age of the leaves.
• The rind contains 10-30 times higher cyanoglucoside content than the edible parts.
• Feeding crushed peels or leaves immediately after crushing or without proper drying poses a high risk of cyanide poisoning in animals.

Republic Day Celebrations 2024: a whopping 1.37 crore students take part in Project Veer Gatha 3.0 pan India; 100 selected winners to witness 26th January parade as special guests.

• The third edition of Project ‘Veer Gatha’, as part of Republic Day celebrations, has witnessed an overwhelming pan India response.
• Project Veer Gatha is a joint initiative of Ministry of Defence and Ministry of Education.
• It was instituted under Gallantry Awards Portal (GAP) in 2021.
• Aim: With the aim to disseminate the details of acts of bravery of the Gallantry Awardees and the life stories of these brave hearts among the students so as to raise the spirit of patriotism and instill amongst them values of civic consciousness.
• Project Veer Gatha deepened this noble aim by providing a platform to the school students to do creative projects/activities based on gallantry award winners.
• As part of this, the students framed different projects through various media like art, poems, essays and multimedia on these gallantry award winners and best projects were awarded at national level by the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Education.

Strung out: Bobbilli Veena craftsmen struggle for livelihood.

• Despite the longstanding fame of the Bobbili veena, the livelihoods of craftsmen face challenges due to a lack of demand from the public and
• Bobbilli Veena is a traditional ‘Saraswati Veena’ from Bobbili and is famed for its fine tune and distinctive notes.
• It is a large plucked string instrument used in Carnatic music.
• The making of the veena began in the 17th century during the reign of Pedda Rayudu, the king of Bobbili Samsthanam who was a great patron of music.
• Features
• These veenas are painstakingly crafted from Jack-wood tree logs in Gollapalli, a town in Bobbili (Andhra Pradesh).
• It takes almost a full month for a log of mute wood to be crafted into a fine musical instrument.
• Jack-wood is preferred as it is light and the unique grain of the wood renders the quality of swara or tone.
• A single piece of wood is used to create the instrument giving it the name ‘Ekandi Veena’.
• These Veenas are also remarkable for the exquisite designs etched on the body, making each piece exclusive.
• With their origin dating back to the Seventeenth Century, these veenas are played in a distinctive style, which also led to the coinage of the ‘Bobbili Veena Sampradayam’.
• It earned a Geographical Indication (GI) tag in 2012for its unique design and high-quality craftsmanship.

IISc study in Arunachal Pradesh reveals how logging and climate change impact montane birds.

• Researchers at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc.) in Bengaluru have found that many bird species have started shifting to higher elevations due to rising temperatures in Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary.
• Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary is a protected area of India in the Himalayan foothills of West Kameng District, Arunachal Pradesh.
• It conjoins Sessa Orchid Sanctuary to the northeast and Pakhui Tiger Reserve across the Kameng river to the east.
• It is situated in the biodiversity hotspot of Eastern Himalayas and home to over 500 bird species.
• Altitude ranges are extreme: from 500 metres (1,640 ft) to 3,250 metres (10,663 ft).
• It is also a part of the Kameng Elephant Reserve.
• It is notable as a prime birding site due to the extraordinary variety, numbers and accessibility of species.
• It derives its name from the Red Eagle Division of the Indian army which was posted in the area in the 1950s.
• Flora: The temperate cloud forest is intermixed with dense bamboo patches and broadleaved evergreen forest across a wide altitudinal range, with conifers and rhododendrons at the higher elevations.
• Fauna: Capped langur, Bengal tiger, Asian elephant, red panda, Asiatic black bear, Arunachal macaque and gaur.