PLACES IN NEWS

 

INDIA

Yankti Kuti valley

• Context:
  • Multiple events of glacial advances have been witnessed from the Yankti Kuti valley situated in the extreme eastern part of Pithoragarh district, Uttarakhand, for 52 thousand years (MIS 3) synchronises with climate variability, according to a new study.

• About: 
  • Located in Uttarakhand.
  • It is the last valley before the border with Tibet.
  • It runs along an NW to SE axis, formed by the river Kuti Yankti, which is one of the headwaters of the Kali River that forms the boundary between India and Nepal in this region.
  • This valley is mainly dominated by Byansis, one of the four Bhotiya communities of Kumaon, with the others being Johar, Darmiya and Chaudansi.

Annapurna Mountain Range

• Context:
  • Skalzang Rigzin, the first Indian Mountaineer to climb Mount Annapurna's peak without supplemental Oxygen, received a warm welcome in Leh.

• About:
  • Annapurna is a mountain situated in the Annapurna mountain range of Gandaki Province, north-central Nepal.
  • It is the tenth highest mountain in the world at 8,091 metres above sea level.
  • Mt Annapurna is one of the most difficult among the 8000 meters height peaks in the world and is also known as the Killer Mountain due to its fatality to summit rate.

Sigur Plateau

• Context:
  • Following the Supreme Court verdict (2018), upholding the notification of the elephant corridor in the Sigur plateau, there has been a surge in resorts and commercial establishments mushrooming in the areas.

• About:
  • Sigur Plateau is located in the Nilgiri Hills of Tamil Nadu.
  • It connects the Western and the Eastern Ghats.
  • It has the Nilgiri Hills on its southwestern side and the Moyar River Valley on its northeastern side.
  • It sustains elephant populations and their genetic diversity.
  • The elephants cross the plateau in search of food and water.
  • The Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, which includes Sigur Plateau and the Nilgiri Hills, is part of the UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves.

O’Valley

• Context:
  • There were 3 human deaths in O’Valley in Gudalur over the last 2 months caused by 3 different elephants.
• About:
  • O’Valley is a shortened name for James Ouchterlony, the man behind tea plantations in the region.
  • O' Valley is a place in Nilgiris District of Tamil Nadu in India.
  • It is the Union place of Tamilnadu, Kerala and Karnataka Boundary.
  • It is located between Mudumalai National Park and the New Amarambalam Reserved forest.
  • Tea is the main crop cultivated, other than this Coffee, Cardamam, Clove, Pepper, Ginger, and Plantain are the major cash crops cultivated here.
  • The Santhana Malai (sandalwood hill) is the main attraction of O’Valley.
  • It got its name from sandalwood trees as this region, years ago, was replete with sandalwood trees.

Hasdeo Aranya region

• Why in News?
  • Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly has unanimously passed a private member resolution urging the Centre to cancel the allocation of all coal mining blocks in the ecologically sensitive Hasdeo Aranya area.

• About 
  • The Hasdeo Aranya forests are called the lungs of Chhattisgarh.
  • The Hasdeo Aranya (Aranya means forest) lies in the catchment area of the Hasdeo river in North-Central Chhattisgarh. 
  • The Hasdeo river is a tributary of the Mahanadi river which originates in Chhattisgarh and flows through Odisha into the Bay of Bengal. 
  • The Hasdeo forests are also the catchment area for the Hasdeo Bango Dam built across the Hasdeo river which irrigates six lakh acres of land, crucial to a State with paddy as its main crop. 
  • Besides, the forests are ecologically sensitive due to the rich biodiversity they offer and due to the presence of a large migratory corridor for elephants.

Mahanadi River

• Why in News?
  • The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast a heavy rainfall causing the flood situation in the Mahanadi River, Odisha.

• About 
  • Origin  It rises from a place near Sihawa in Bastar hills in the state of Chhattisgarh to the south of Amarkantak.
  • The Mahanadi River system is the third largest of peninsular India after Godavari and Krishna, and the largest river of Odisha state.
  • The catchment area of the river extends to Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Jharkhand and Maharashtra.
  • Its basin is bounded by the Central India hills on the north, by the EasternGhats on the south and east and by the Maikala range in the west.
  • Major Tributaries :The Seonath, the Hasdeo, the Mand and the Ib joins 
  • Mahanadi from left whereas the Ong, the Tel and the Jonk joins it from right.
• Major Dams/Projects on Mahanadi :
• Ravishankar Sagar, Dudhawa Reservoir, Sondur Reservoir, Hasdeo Bango and Tandula are other major projects.
• Hirakud Dam: This is the longest dam of India.
• Urban Centres: Three important urban centres in the basin are Raipur, Durg and Cuttack.

Loktak Lake

• Context:
  • Loktak Lake Authority of Manipur recently issued a notice to remove all floating houses and fishing structures on Loktak lake.

 

• About 
  • It’s located about 40 kilometres south of Imphal.
  • It's the largest freshwater lake in Northeast India, the pristine Loktak Lake is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Manipur. 
  • Known for its floating circular swamps, which are called phumdis in the local tongue, 
  • The lake invites tourists from far and wide for its ethereal beauty. 
  • These swamps look almost like islands and are a mass of soil, organic matter, and vegetation. 
  • The lake houses the only floating national park in the world, the Keibul Lamjao National Park, which is the last refuge of the endangered brow-antlered deer or sangai, Manipur's state animal.
  • In addition, the lake shelters about 230 species of aquatic plants, 100 types of birds, and 400 species of fauna like barking deer, sambar, and Indian python.
  • Loktak lake was initially designated as a wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention in 1990.
  • Later it was also listed under the Montreux Record in 1993.

Atal Bridge

• Context:
  • The Prime Minister has inaugurated the pedestrian-only ‘Atal Bridge’ on Sabarmati river in Gujarat’s Ahmedabad city.
• What is Atal Bridge?
  • Atal Bridge is a foot-over bridge (FOB) on the Sabarmati river in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
  • Apart from being used by pedestrians, the bridge can also be used by cyclists to cross the river.
  • The bridge is designed in such a way that it can be used by people from both the upper and lower levels of the river.
• What is the Sabarmati River?
  • The Sabarmati river is one of the major west-flowing rivers in India.
  • It originates in the Aravalli Range of the Udaipur District of Rajasthan and meets the Gulf of Khambhat of the Arabian Sea after travelling 371 km in a south-westerly direction across Rajasthan and Gujarat.

Vembanad Lake

• Context:
  • Vembanad lake, is shrinking and its unique biodiversity is under threat of ecological decay despite it being declared as a Ramsar site 20 years ago.
  • The lake is a source of livelihood for farmers of Kuttanad and the fisherfolk community, continues to undergo ecological degradation due to pollution and unauthorised constructions on its banks, with experts calling for “committed efforts” to save its wetland ecosystem.

• Features of the Lake:
  • This is the largest lake in Kerala and the longest Lake in India.
  • Vembanad Lake is also known as Vembanad Kayal, Vembanad Kol, Punnamada Lake (in Kuttanad) and Kochi Lake (in Kochi).
  • It is bound by Alappuzha, Kottayam and Ernakulam
  • Spanning several districts of Kerala and covering a territory of more than 2033.02 km2.
  • The lake has its source in four rivers, Meenachil, Achankovil, Pampa and Manimala
  • It is separated from the Arabian Sea by a narrow barrier island and is a popular backwater stretch in Kerala.
  • Vallam Kali (i.e Nehru Trophy Boat Race) is a Snake Boat Race held every year in the month of August in Vembanad Lake.
  • In 2002, it was included in the list of wetlands of international importance, as defined by the Ramsar Convention.
  • It is the second-largest Ramsar site in India only after the Sundarbans in West Bengal.
  • The Government of India has identified the Vembanad wetland under the National Wetlands Conservation Programme.
  • The Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary is located on the east coast of the lake.
  • In 2019, Willingdon Island, a seaport located in the city of Kochi, was carved out of Vembanad Lake.

Machilipatnam Seaport

• Context:
  • The seaport proposed at Machilipatnam in Krishna district got Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) clearance from the National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management recently.

• About :
  • Machilipatnam or Masulipatnam or Bandar is located in Krishna district, Andhra Pradesh.
  • Machilipatnam is a municipal corporation and the administrative headquarters of Krishna district.
  • The ancient port town served as the settlement of European traders from the 16th century, and it was a major trading port for the Portuguese, British, Dutch and French in the 17th century.
  • The foundation for the Machilipatnam Seaport was laid in 2008.
  • It is a proposed deep sea port on the coast of Bay of Bengal.
  • It is located 65 km from the trading hub of Vijayawada.
  • The Andhra Pradesh Maritime Board (APMB) has planned to build the Port in two phases.

•  

Thamirabarani River

• Context:
  • The district administration of Tirunelveli in Tamil Nadu along with Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE), a non-profit Organisation, are using a ‘hyper local’ approach called TamiraSES to restore the Thamirabarani River.

• About:
  • The Thamiraparani is the only perennial (continuous flow of water) river in Tamil Nadu.
  • This is the shortest river in the state, the Thamirabarani starts in Pothigai hills of the Western Ghats in the Ambasamudram taluk, flows through Tirunelveli and Thoothukudi districts and empties at Korkai into the Gulf of Mannar (Bay of Bengal). It thus originates and ends in the same state.
  • The river supports wildlife such as the Nilgiri marten, slender loris, lion-tailed macaque, white spotted bush frog, galaxy frog, Sri Lankan Atlas moth and the great hornbill.
  • Besides the ecosystem services it provides, the river also has historical value for the people of the state. It is mentioned extensively in Sangam Era literature.

Maheshwar Dam: Narmada River

• Context:
  • The Madhya Pradesh government has cancelled all contracts with Maheshwar Hydroelectric Project almost three decades after it agreed to purchase power from it.
  • It has been cancelled due to its poor financial track record, several irregularities and graft allegations which caused the submergence of 61 villages.
  • The Maheshwar dam is one of the large dams of the Narmada Valley Development Project, which envisages the construction of 30 large and 135 smaller dams in the Narmada valley.

• What are the Key Points of Narmada River?
  • About:
  • Narmada is the largest west-flowing river of the peninsular region flowing through a rift valley between the Vindhya Range on the north and the Satpura Range on the south.
  • Narmada is flowing through the area where the land is not sloping towards the west from central India, but it is flowing west because of the rift valleys only.
  • It rises from Maikala range near Amarkantak in Madhya Pradesh.
  • It drains a large area in Madhya Pradesh besides some areas in the states of Maharashtra and Gujarat.
  • The river near Jabalpur (Madhya Pradesh) forms the DhuanDhar Falls.
  • There are several islands in the estuary of Narmada of which Aliabet is the largest.
  • Major Tributaries: Hiran, Orsang, the Barna and the Kolar.
  • Hydro Power Projects: Indira Sagar, Sardar Sarova, Maheshwar etc.
  • Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA):
    • It is an Indian social movement spearheaded by native tribes (adivasis), farmers, environmentalists and human rights activists against a number of large dam projects across the Narmada River.
    • Sardar Sarovar Dam in Gujarat is one of the biggest dams on the river and was one of the first focal points of the movement.

Sukapaika River

• Context:
  • The Sukapaika River which stopped flowing 70 years ago, is set to be rejuvenated as the Odisha government has started working on its revival plan following a recent direction from the National Green Tribunal (NGT).

• What are the Key Points of Sukapaika River?
  • Sukapaika is one of the several distributaries of the mighty Mahanadi river in Odisha.
  • It branches away from the Mahanadi at Ayatpur village in Cuttack district and flows for about 40 kilometres (km) before rejoining its parent river at Tarapur in the same district.
  • Sukapaika river is an important system of the Mahanadi to control floodwater and maintain the flow in the river as well as the Bay of Bengal.
• What are the Key Points of Mahanadi River?
• About:
  • The Mahanadi River system is the third largest of peninsular India after Godavari and Krishna, and the largest river of Odisha state.
  • The catchment area of the river extends to Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Jharkhand and Maharashtra.
  • Its basin is bounded by the Central India hills on the north, by the Eastern Ghats on the south and east and by the Maikala range in the west.
• Source:
  • It rises from a place near Sihawa, in the Dhamtari district of Chhattisgarh.
• Major Tributaries:
  • The Seonath, the Hasdeo, the Mand and the Ib joins Mahanadi from left whereas the Ong, the Tel and the Jonk joins it from right.

Matihani-Sambho Bridge

• The Government of India has cleared a crucial bridge project on the River Ganga in Begusarai.

• About the Matihani-Sambho bridge
  • The bridge is being built on the River Ganga in Begusarai (Bihar).
  • It will link the riverine areas of Matihani and Sambho in Begusarai and would also connect NH-31 (Patna-Mokama) and NH-80 (Begusarai-Purnea).
  • The National Highway Authority of India has made a rare exception to clear the feasibility report of the bridge. As per the rule, within 50 km of a bridge, upstream or downstream, a new bridge cannot be considered. 
  • But in this case, the shortening of travel distance, potential benefits to the rural economy and upcoming Assembly polls seem to have worked in the project’s favour.
  • Benefits of the bridge: The bridge would shorten the travel route from North Bihar to South Bihar, Orissa, Jharkhand and Nepal by at least 70 km.
  • It would also hold greater importance in terms of the safety of 13 industrial units in Begusarai and Barauni by providing a base and easy access to NDRF teams in times of any industrial disaster.

 Mathura-Vrindavan

• Context
  • Recently, the Government of Uttar Pradesh has announced that Mathura-Vrindavan is aiming to become a “net zero carbon emission” tourist destination by 2041.
  • This will be the first such carbon neutral master plan for a tourist destination in India.
• What are the Major Announcements regarding the Target?
• About Announcement:
  • Tourist vehicles will be banned from the entire Braj region, which includes famous pilgrim centres such as Vrindavan and Krishna Janmabhoomi.
  • Only electric vehicles used as public transport will be allowed into the area.
  • All 252 water bodies and 24 forests in the area will also be revived.
  • The plan divides the entire region into four clusters, each containing two of the eight key cities.
  • “The idea is to form small circuits called ‘Parikrama Paths’ which the pilgrim can undertake either on foot or using electric vehicles.
  • In case they want to travel from one destination to another they can avail electric mini-buses.
• Mathura-Vrindavan’s Cultural Significance:
  • Mathura, situated on the bank of river Yamuna, is the abode of Lord Krishna and it has a great religious sanctity among the Hindus.
  • It also has one of the oldest historical records.
  • It is mentioned in the epic Ramayan. It is on record that Mathura was one of the capitals of Kushan King Kanishka(130AD).
  • Some of the famous temples are Bankey Bihari Temple, Govind Dev Temple, Rangaji Temple, Dwarikadhish Temple and the ISKCON Temple.

Aibawk cluster

• Aibawk cluster in the Aizwal district of Mizoram has become the first cluster to be completed under the Shyama Prasad Mukherji Rurban Mission(SPMRM). 
• What is Shyama Prasad Mukherji Rurban Mission(SPMRM)? 
  • Launched in: 2016 by the Ministry of Rural Development 
  • Type: Centrally Sponsored Scheme 
  • Aim: To preserve and nurture the essence of rural community life with a focus on equity and inclusiveness without compromising with the facilities perceived to be essentially urban in nature, thus creating a cluster of ‘Rurban villages’. 
  • Objective: To stimulate local economic development, enhance basic services, and create well-planned Rurban clusters. 
  • Target: To develop 300 clusters in the country holistically by provisioning economic, social and physical infrastructure facilities. 
  • Identification of Rurban Clusters: Rurban Clusters are identified across the country’s rural areas showing increasing signs of urbanization – i.e. increase in population density, high levels of non-farm employment, presence of growing economic activities and other socioeconomic parameters. 
  • For the purposes of SPMRM, Rurban areas refer to a cluster of 15-20 villages having about 30 to 40 lakh population. 
  • The clusters will be geographically contiguous Gram Panchayats with a population of about 25000 to 50000 in plain and coastal areas and a population of 5000 to 15000 in desert, hilly or tribal areas. 
  • Role of States: The State Government identifies the clusters in accordance with the Framework for Implementation prepared by the MoRD. 
  • Funding: The mission has two fund streams: (1) Convergence through various Central sector schemes, centrally sponsored schemes, State sector/ sponsored schemes/ programmes, CSR funds, and (2) Critical Gap Funds (CGF): It provides for CGF upto Rs. 30 crores per cluster for Non-tribal clusters and upto Rs. 15 crores per cluster for Tribal and Hilly State clusters.

Vizhinjam Port Project

• Context:
  • Recently, Adani Group approached the Kerala High Court requesting the security cover of central forces in its port construction site in Vizhinjam which was marred by violent protests by the Fishermen.
• What is the Vizhinjam Port Project?
  • About:
  • It is a Rs 7,525 crore port, being built under a Public Private Partnership (PPP) model with Adani Ports Private Limited at Vizhinjam near Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.
  • It was laid in December 2015 and has since missed its completion deadline.
  • The port is to have 30 berths, and will be able to handle giant “megamax” container ships.
• Significance:
  • It is believed that the ultramodern port, located close to major international shipping routes, will boost India’s economy and its location is also of strategic importance.
  • The port is expected to compete with Colombo, Singapore, and Dubai for a share of trans-shipment traffic.
  • The port’s advantages are “availability of a 20m contour within one nautical mile from the coast, minimal littoral drift along the coast, hardly any maintenance dredging required, links to national/regional road, rail network, and proximity to international shipping routes.
• Why are Fishermen Protesting?
  • Fisherfolk have been protesting against the project for the past four months, alleging that its construction is causing massive sea erosion, taking away their livelihood and dwellings.
  • They want an impact study conducted and the project to remain suspended until the study report comes out.
• The fishing community has also put forward six other demands:
  • Rehabilitation of families who lost their homes to sea erosion
  • Effective steps to mitigate coastal erosion
  • Financial assistance to fisherfolk on days weather warnings are issued
  • compensation to families of those who lose their lives in fishing accidents
  • Subsidised kerosene
  • A mechanism to dredge the Muthalappozhi fishing harbour in Anchuthengu in Thiruvananthapuram district.
  • The kerosense subsidy has been demanded by claiming that because of the project, fishermen have to venture deeper into the ocean for catch, increasing the fuel cost burden
  • The assured depth dredging work of river Barak (NW-16) from Badarpur to Bhanga (10.5 km) has been awarded to Dredging Corporation of  India.

Barak River

• Context:
  • Funds have been disbursed by the World Bank to improve the waterways in Assam.

• Barak River:
  • Barak rises in the Manipur hills and enters the plains near Lakhipur, Assam
  • The river enters Bangladesh as Surma and Kushiyara.
  • Later, the river is called the Meghna and receives the combined flow of the Ganga and Brahmaputra.
  • The principal tributaries of Barak are the Jiri, the Dhaleswari, the Singla, the Longai, the Sonai and the Katakhal.
  • The Barak sub-basin drains areas in India, Bangladesh and Burma.
  • The drainage area lying in India is 41723 sq. km which is nearly 1.38% of the total geographical area of the country.
  • It is on the north by the Barail range separating it from the Brahmaputra sub-basin, on the east by the Na Lushai hills and on the south and west by Bangladesh.
  • The sub-basin lies in the States of Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram, Assam, Tripura and Nagaland.
  • The hydropower potential of the basin is 2042 MW at a 60% load factor.

PARASNATH HILL AND SHETRUNJAY HILL

• About Sammed Shikharji Jain Temple:
  • Shikharji, often spelled Sammed or Sammet Shikharji, is a holy place in the Indian state of Jharkhand’s Giridih district.
  • The highest mountain in the state of Jharkhand, Parasnath Hill, is where it is situated.
  • Both Digambara and Svetambara consider it to be the most significant Jain Tirtha (pilgrimage destination), as it is the location where twenty of the twenty-four Jain tirthankaras, together with numerous other monks, obtained Moksha.
  • The Jnatrdharmakatha, one of the twelve fundamental texts of Jainism, has the first mention of Shikharji as a Tirth (place of pilgrimage).
  • The Parsvanathacarita, a biography of Prva written in the eleventh century, also makes mention of Shikharji.
  • An illustration of Parshavanatha’s nirvana at Shikharji can be seen in a palm-leaf manuscript of the Kalpa Stra and Kalakacaryakatha from the thirteenth century CE.
  • In 1768 CE, Jagat Seth rebuilt the temples at Shikharji to their present configuration.
  • The 1678 CE date is written in Sanskrit at the bottom of the image.
  • There is a Bhomiyaji temple at the foot of Shikharji (Taleti).
  • There is a mural painting of every temple on Parasnath Hill on the walls of the Jain temple in the village of Madhuban.
  • The earliest temple to hold a Bhaktamara Stotra yantra is the Svetambara Bhaktamara temple, founded by Acharya Ramchandrasuri.

• About Shetrunjay Hill:
  • The hills are located in Palitana city of Bhavnagar district in Gujarat.
  • The hills are located on the banks of river Shetrunji and are considered as a sacred hill by Jains.
  • The hills are bounded by the Gulf of Khambhat in the south and Bhavnagar town in the north.
  • Shatrunjaya translates to Place of Victory.
  • The temples atop this hill is said to have been built more than 900 years ago, and are grouped into enclosures.
  • Jains believe that Adinath, who is the founder of Jainism, had meditated beneath the tree at the summit of this place.
  • The temple complex here also has a shrine of a Muslim saint, Angar Pir.
  • The most important temple of all here is the Adinath Temple, located on the highest point of the place.
• About Shetrunji River:
  • It is an eastward-flowing river in Gujarat. The river rises in the northeast of Gir Hills. The river has a maximum length of 227 kilometres.

Sagol Kangjei

• Context:
  • The Home Minister inaugurated  a 122-foot-tall statue of a polo player astride a Manipur Pony in Imphal.
• About
  • Modern-day polo originated within the small northeast Indian state of Manipur in 3100 BC, where it was played as sagol kangjei (sagol means pony and kangjei is a game of sticks). 
  • The Manipur Pony is one of five recognised equine breeds of India, and has a powerful cultural significance for Manipuri society. 
  • The Lai-Haraoba festival of the state depicts the life and times of Khori-phaba, the polo-playing god of sports.
  • The origins of polo in Manipur are associated mythologically with Marjing, the God of the Chenglei tribe, to whom a structure similar to the ancient polo stick along and a ball are still offered in worship.

Buddhist Monastery Found in Bharatpur

• Context:
  • In the recent excavations, the Structural Complex of the Buddhist Monastery was found in the continuation of large Stupa, Black and Red ware pottery, and Sculptures discovered from excavation done 50 years ago at the same site in West Bengal.

• About:
  • An extended Monastery complex was found in an excavation done by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) in West Bengal’s Paschim Bardhaman district.
  • The outer wall of the monastery, containing nine layers of brick and a small circular structure has been revealed.
  • Buddhism in West Bengal: The region was a bastion of the ancient Buddhist Mauryan and Pala empires when the Mahayana and Vajrayana schools flourished. South-Eastern Bengal was ruled by the medieval Buddhist Kingdom of Mrauk U during the 16th and 17th centuries.
• Significance of Excavation :
  • The site was initially excavated fifty years ago between 1972 and 1975 when archaeologists from ASI found a Buddhist Stupa at the site.
  • Excavations can help in finding the spread of Buddhism in the South West Bengal region.
  • The discovery is also significant since black and red ware pottery from the chalcolithic age makes the village settlement on river Damodar possible. 
  • The complex makes the site religious while the settlement makes the site secular in nature.
  • The stupa found is large compared to stupas found from other Buddhist sites in the state like Karnasubarna in Murshidabad, Moghalamari in Paschim Medinipur, and Jagjivanpur in Malda where smaller votive stupas were found.
• Buddhist Monastery:
  • A monastery is a community of men or women (monks or nuns), who have chosen to withdraw from society, forming a new community devoted to religious practice.
  • In Buddhism monks or nuns pray on behalf of the people. The monastery typically becomes the spiritual focus of the nearest town or village.
  • The goal is to achieve Moksha, which is freedom or release from attachment to ego or the material world, an end to samsara, to realize nirvana (liberation), which is to be released into the infinite state of oneness with everything.
• Stupa Architecture 
  • The central structure consists of a hemispherical dome on a base, with a relic chamber deep within. The dome symbolizes, among other things, the dome of heaven enclosing the earth. 
  • It is surmounted by a squared railing (harmika) that can be said to represent the world mountain.

Assam’s Charaideo Moidams

• Context:
  • The Centre has decided to nominate the Charaideo Maidams in Assam for the UNESCO World Heritage Centre this year.
  • There is currently no World Heritage Site in the category of cultural heritage in Northeast India.
  • The nomination of the Charaideo Maidams has attained significance at a time when the country is celebrating the 400th birth anniversary of Lachit Borphukan.

• What is Charaideo Maidams?
  • The Charaideo Maidams, represents the late medieval (13th-19th century CE) mound burial tradition of the Tai Ahom community in Assam.
  • It enshrines the mortal remains of the members of the Ahom royalty, who used to be buried with their paraphernalia.
  • After the 18th century, the Ahom rulers adopted the Hindu method of cremation and began entombing the cremated bones and ashes in a Maidam at Charaideo.
  • Out of 386 Maidams or Moidams explored so far, 90 royal burials at Charaideo are the best preserved, representative of and the most complete examples of mound burial tradition of the Ahoms.

Mughal Gardens will now be called Amrit Udyan

• Context:
  • The Rashtrapati Bhavan gardens — popularly known as the Mughal Gardens was renamed as Amrit Udyan.
• The Amrit Udyan
  • Edwin Lutyens had finalized the designs of the Mughal Gardens in 1917, but it was only during the year 1928-1929 that planting was done.
  • It is spread across 15 acres and it incorporates both Mughal and English landscaping styles.
  • The main garden has two channels intersecting at right angles dividing the garden into a grid of squares- a Charbagh (a four-cornered garden)- a typical characteristic of Mughal landscaping.
  • There are six lotus-shaped fountains at the crossings of these channels rising to a height of 12 feet.
  • The gardens house nearly 2500 varieties of Dahlias and 120 varieties of roses.
• Why was it earlier named as Mughal Gardens?
  • The garden is designed in Persian style of landscaping or what we call as ‘‘Mughal Gardens”.
  • In fact, Edward Lutyens who designed the Viceroy’s House, what we call today as Rashtrapati Bhavan had deliberately used Mughal architectural details as part of the British appeasement plan.
  • We see Chajja (dripstone), the Chattri (domed kiosk), the Jali (pierced screen) and many other Indian architectural features liberally used there.
  • Mughal canals, terraces and flowering shrubs are beautifully blended with European flowerbeds, lawns and private hedges.

Siyom Bridge

• Located on the Along-Yinkiong Road, the Siyom bridge will greatly enhance the speed of troop deployment, as well as the transportation of heavy equipment and mechanized vehicles to forward areas in the Upper Siang district, Tuting, and Yinkiong regions along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

• In addition to the Siyom bridge, 21 other bridges, three roads, and three additional infrastructure projects in Arunachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Punjab, and Rajasthan were also virtually inaugurated by Rajnath Singh from the Siyom bridge site.
• The BRO has also connected remote villages, such as Huri Village in Arunachal Pradesh, to the mainland. This connectivity has triggered reverse migration in these areas, with population increases being witnessed due to the availability of basic amenities such as schooling facilities, primary health care centres, electric supply, and employment opportunities, according to the Defence Minister.
• Importance of Improved Border Infrastructure:
  • The construction of the Siyom bridge and the other infrastructure projects completed by the BRO will greatly benefit the Indian military’s ability to quickly and efficiently deploy troops and equipment to the border regions. This is particularly important in the context of India’s ongoing border tensions with China, as it allows for a more rapid response to any potential threats or hostilities.
  • In addition to its military significance, the Siyom bridge and other infrastructure projects will also have significant economic and social benefits for the local communities. The improved transportation links will facilitate trade and commerce, as well as provide better access to essential services such as healthcare and education.
  • Overall, the completion of the Siyom bridge and the other infrastructure projects completed by the Border Roads Organization is a major milestone for India’s border infrastructure. These projects will greatly enhance the military’s ability to respond to potential threats, as well as provide economic and social benefits to local communities. It is a testament to the commitment of the Indian government to strengthening the country’s border infrastructure and ensuring the safety and security of its citizens.

Yaya Tso Lake

• Context:
  • The Biodiversity Management Committee, the panchayat of Chumathang village, along with SECURE Himalaya Project recently resolved to declare Yaya Tso as Ladakh’s first Biodiversity Heritage Sites (BHS)  under the Biological Diversity Act.

• About
  • Yaya Tso is also known as birds' paradise for its beautiful lake and  is located at an altitude of 4,820 meters.
  • Yaya Tso is a nesting habitat for a large number of birds and animals, such as the bar-headed goose, black-necked crane and brahminy duck.
  • It is also one of the highest breeding sites of the black-necked crane in India.
• Biodiversity Heritage Sites (BHS) 
  • These are areas that are unique, ecologically fragile ecosystems having rich biodiversity.
  • The Indian State Government can notify the Biodiversity Heritage Sites in consultation with local governing bodies under Section 37 of Biological Diversity Act of 2002.
  • India has 36 Biodiversity Heritage Sites spread across several states to date. The most recent addition was the Mahendragiri hill Biodiversity Heritage Site in Odisha.
• About SECURE Himalaya
  • It is a part of “Global Partnership on Wildlife Conservation and Crime Prevention for Sustainable Development” (Global Wildlife Program) funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF).
  • The project promotes sustainable management of alpine pastures and forests in the high range Himalayan ecosystems to secure conservation of globally significant wildlife and their habitats.

Orang National Park

• Context:
  • Recently, the government has issued a notification to make Orang National Park more than thrice its existing size.
  • The gharial, wiped out from the Brahmaputra River system in the 1950s, could be the prime beneficiary of a process to expand an Assam tiger reserve.

• About Orang National park 
  • It is located on the north bank of the Brahmaputra River in the Darrang and Sonitpur districts of Assam, India. 
  • It was established as a sanctuary in 1985 and declared a National Park on 13 April 1999. 
  • It is also known as the mini Kaziranga National Park (IUCN site) since the two parks have a similar landscape made up of marshes, streams and grasslands and are inhabited by the Great Indian One-Horned Rhinoceros.

Tansa Wildlife Sanctuary

• Context:
  • The first-ever bird survey in Tansa Wildlife Sanctuary was conducted recently, and the volunteers recorded 186 species of birds.

• About Tansa Wildlife Sanctuary:
  • Location: It is located in the Thane District of Maharashtra, 90 km northeast of Mumbai in the foothills of the Western Ghats.
  • It is known to be a paradise for birdwatchers.
  • It has two rivers, the Tansa and Vaitarna, and the sanctuary gets its name from the former, which divides the sanctuary into two parts.
  • The sanctuary forms the catchment area of Tansa lake, along with the surrounding forests of Khardi, Vaitarna, Wada, and Shahapur ranges.
  • Tansa reservoir, along with Vaitarna and Bhatsa reservoirs, is the major source of water for the cities of Mumbai and Thane. 
  • Within Tansa Sanctuary is a fort at Mahuli, situated on a 762 m high hilltop.
  • Vegetation: The Sanctuary has Southern Tropical Moist Deciduous Forest, with a few patches of Evergreen forest. 
• Flora: It consists of trees like Kalamb, Bibla, Khair, Hed, Teak, and Bamboo.
• Fauna:
  • At least 54 species of animals and 200 species of birds exist in the sanctuary.
  • Major wild animals are Panther, Barking deer, Mouse deer, Hyena, Wild boar,
  • Two Critically Endangered Gyps species of vultures, the Vulnerable Pallas’s Fish-Eagle Haliaeetus leucoryphus, is also seen here.

Debrigarh Wildlife Sanctuary

• Context: 
  • The National Tiger Conservation Authority of Central Government has approved the Odisha Government’s proposal to declare Debrigarh Wildlife Sanctuary in Sambalpur district a tiger reserve.
• About:
  • The State Government will soon notify Debrigarh as tiger reserve.
  • After Simlipal and Satkosia, Debrigarh will be the third tiger reserve of Odisha.
  • The Debrigarh wildlife sanctuary is located in the Sambalpur district in the Indian state of Odisha, covering a total area of 346.91 km2.
  • It is situated near the city of Sambalpur's Hirakud Dam.
  • The Debrigarh Wildlife Sanctuary is an important location for the conservation of various local wildlife and their habitat.
  • It is home to a wide variety of flora and fauna. Over 40 species of mammals, 200 species of birds, 40 species of reptiles, 12 species of amphibians, 42 species of fishes, 39 species of odonates, 85 species of butterflies and 38 species of spiders have been found living in the sanctuary
  • The sanctuary is bound on the east and north by the huge Hirakud reservoir.
  • Debrigarh Wildlife Sanctuary is a Eco-sensitive Zone from both a ecological and environmental point of view and to prohibit industries or class of industries and their operations and processes in the said Eco-sensitive zone.

Dal Lake

• Context:
  • To combat the increasing pollution and rejuvenate Dal Lake, a unique initiative known as ‘Athwas’ has been launched by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha.

• About:
  • ‘Athwas’ is a unique partnership between citizens and authorities for the rejuvenation of the Lake. It involves community participation.
  • Under the initiative, the de-weeding and dredging will be conducted in collaboration with the citizens.
  • About Dal
  • It was known as the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir.
  • It is named the “Jewel in the crown of Kashmir” or “Srinagar’s Jewel”.
  • The lake is also an important source for commercial operations in fishing and water plant harvesting.
  • The lake is located in the Zabarwan mountain valley, in the foothills of the Shankracharya hills, which surround it on three sides.
  • The lake has four main interconnected basins namely, Hazratbal, Bod dal, Gagribal and Nagin.
  • The floating gardens here, known as “Raad” in Kashmiri, blossom with lotus flowers during July and August.

Powai Lake

• Context:
  • In a setback to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), the Bombay High Court allowed PILs to challenge the construction of a cycling and jogging track around Powai Lake and said the cycle track was illegal.

• About:
  • Recognised as a wetland, Powai Lake is located in the northeastern suburbs of Mumbai, Maharashtra.
  • Powai Lake is an artificial man-made lake located to the north of Mumbai and southwest of Thane.
  • It was formed as a result of two dams built on the Mithi River in 1891.
  • The purpose was to create a reservoir for providing water supply in Mumbai.
  • However, water quality degraded within a few years, and it was declared unfit for drinking. It is being used for industrial purposes.
  • The Maharashtra State Angling Association (then called Bombay Presidency Angling Association), formed in 1936, currently controls and manages the lake.
  • In 1995, the National Lake Conservation Plan (NLCP) included Powai Lake among India’s 10 main lakes to be revived and improved.
  • This program, launched in 2002, was implemented by BMC. As a result of this move, the condition of the lake has considerably improved.

Andaman and Nicobar Islands

• Context:
  • The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has approved an exemption to the laws governing the regulation of coastal zones and has paved the way for gas-powered plants to be set up at Andaman and Nicobar islands.

• About:
  • The Andaman Islands are divided into three main islands i.e. North, Middle and South.
  • Duncan's passage separates Little Andaman from South Andaman.
  • The Great Andaman group of islands in the north is separated by the Ten Degree Channel from the Nicobar group in the south.
  • Port Blair, the capital of Andaman Nicobar Islands lies in the South Andaman.
  • Among the Nicobar Islands, the Great Nicobar is the largest. It is the southernmost island and is very close to Sumatra island of Indonesia.
  • The Car Nicobar is the northernmost.
  • Most of these islands are made of tertiary sandstone, limestone and shale resting on basic and ultrabasic volcanoes [Similar to the Himalayas].
  • THE BARREN AND NARCONDAM ISLANDS, north of Port Blair, are volcanic islands [these are the only active volcanoes in India][There are no active volcanoes in mainland India].
  • Some of the islands are fringed with coral reefs. Many of them are covered with thick forests. Most of the islands are mountainous.
  • The saddle peak (737 m) in North Andaman is the highest peak.

Ujh Multipurpose (National) Project

• Context:
  • A high-level meeting was held by Jal Shakti Ministry to review the progress of work at Ujh Multipurpose (National) Project in Kathua region of Jammu & Kashmir.

• About:
  • Ujh is a tributary of the Ravi river. Ujh Multipurpose Project is planned to enhance the utilization of India’s rights under Indus Waters Treaty.
  • The project will increase the utilization of waters of Eastern Rivers  shared to India as per the Indus Water Treaty.
  • It will be constructed on the River Ujh in Kathua District of Jammu & Kashmir.

Sela Tunnel project

• Context:
  • The strategically-significant Sela Tunnel project in Arunachal Pradesh is nearing completion well before the deadline.

• About:
  • The Sela Tunnel is the longest bi-lane road tunnel in the world.
  • The total length of the project, including the tunnels, the approach and the link roads, will be around 12 km.
  • The tunnel is being constructed by the Border Roads Organisation at an altitude of 13,800ft near the Indo-China border.
  • It is being built on the 317km long BaliparaCharduar-Tawang (BCT) road which connects West Kameng, East Kameng and Tawang districts of Arunachal Pradesh to the rest of the country.

WORLD

 Türkiye

• Context:
  • Turkey will now be known as Türkiye at the United Nations after the intergovernmental body agreed to a formal request for the name change from Ankara.

• About:
  • Domestically, citizens refer to the land as Turkiye, but its anglicised version ‘Turkey’ was adopted internationally following the country’s independence in 1923.
  • Apparently, the country’s government was not pleased with the Google search results that came up for the word ‘Turkey’. Some of these results included the large bird that is served for Thanksgiving and Christmas meals in North America.
  • The government has also had objections to Cambridge Dictionary’s definition of the term “turkey”; “something that fails badly” or “a stupid or silly person”.
  • There are other countries that have changed their names either to drop colonial legacies or rebrand, as is the case with Turkey. Some examples include:
    • The Netherlands, which was changed from Holland;
    • Macedonia, which changed its name to North Macedonia due to political disputes with Greece;
    • Iran, which changed its name from Persia in 1935;
    • Siam, which changed its name to Thailand; and
    • Rhodesia, which changed to Zimbabwe to drop its colonial legacy.

Sievierodonetsk

• Context:
  • The Battle of Sievierodonetsk is an ongoing military engagement during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, as part of the Battle of Donbas of the Eastern Ukraine offensive.

• About:
  • Administratively, Sievierodonetsk falls under Ukraine’s Luhansk oblast. Sievierodonetsk is one of the largest cities in the Donbas region.
  • It is located nearly 140 km south of the Russian border.
  • It is located near the left bank of the Siverskyi Donets River and has a population of over a lakh.
  • Sievierodonetsk is a big industrial hub known for chemical works and machine-building factories.
  • If the city of Sievierodonetsk falls, then it will allow Russia to control the entire Luhansk region.
  • Many fear that the city could become the next Mariupol, the southern port city that was heavily destroyed before it fell into Russian hands.

Aegean Sea

• Context:
  • Turkish President warned Greece – which has been building a military presence in violation of treaties that guarantee the unarmed status of the Aegean islands – to demilitarise islands in the Aegean Sea.

• About:
  • The ancient name of the Aegean Sea, Archipelago, was later applied to the islands it contains and is now used to refer to any island group.
  • The Aegean Sea, an arm of the Mediterranean Sea, is located between the Greek peninsula on the west and Asia Minor on the east.
  • It is located between the southern Balkan and the Anatolian peninsulas, between the mainlands of Greece and Turkey, respectively.
  • It is connected through the straits of the Dardanelles, the Sea of Marmara, and the Bosporus to the Black Sea.
  • It also has a good connection to the Ionian Sea to the west, through the strait lying between the Peloponnese peninsula of Greece and Crete.
  • The island of Crete can be taken as marking its boundary to the south.

Vale do Javari

• Context:
  • British journalists went missing from Vale do Javari in Brazil.

• About:
  • Vale do Javari in the western section of the Brazilian Amazon rainforest.
  • It is named after the Javari River, which forms the country’s border with Peru.
  • The region is home to the greatest concentration of isolated tribal groups in the Amazon and the world.
  • The area is home to 14 indigenous tribes with nearly 6,000 inhabitants, who are known to reject contact with the outside world.
  • The communities living in the Vale do Javari have been granted exclusive territorial rights in Brazil’s 1988 constitution and then in 2001 under the demarcation of indigenous territory.
  • Vale do Javari forms part of an international cocaine trafficking route, with gold being exchanged for drugs and arms, consequently making it a hotspot for violent crimes.

Isle of Wight

• Context:
  • Palaeontologists have found the skeletal remains of Europe's largest meat-eating dinosaur on the Isle of Wight.

• About:
  • Isle of Wight is a county and the largest and second-most populous island of England. It is part of the historic county of Hampshire.
  • The island lies off the south coast of England in the English Channel.
  • It is separated from the mainland by a deep strait known as The Solent.
  • The administrative centre of the unitary authority of the Isle of Wight is Newport.
  • The backbone of the island is formed by a chalk ridge that extends across the entire breadth of the island, from Culver Cliff in the east to the Needles in the west.
  • It is designated a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.

Zmiinyi Island

• Context:
  • Ukraine has caused “significant losses” to the Russian military in airstrikes on the Zmiinyi Island in the Black Sea.

• About Zmiinyi Island:
  • Located in the Black Sea, Zmiinyi Island is also known as Snake Island or the Serpent Island.
  • It is a small piece of rock less than 700 metres from end to end.
  • It belongs to Ukraine.
  • The island has been known since ancient times and is marked on the map by the village of Bile that is located on it.
  • Snake Island lies close to the mouth of the River Danube, which delineates Romania's border with Ukraine.
  • It is also roughly to the southwest of the port city of Odessa.

Colombia

• Context:
  • Ex-guerrilla Gustavo Petro was elected the first ever left-wing president of Colombia, after beating millionaire businessman Rodolfo Hernandez in a tense run-off election.

• About:
  • Colombia is a country in South America bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Venezuela to the east, Brazil to the southeast, Ecuador and Peru to the south, the Pacific Ocean to the west and Panama to the northwest.
  • It is the only country in South America with coastlines and islands along both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.
  • Its capital is Bogotá. Colombia is one of the world's seventeen megadiverse countries.

Karakalpakstan

• Context:
  • At least 18 people were killed and 243 wounded during last week’s government crackdown on protests in Uzbekistan’s autonomous province of Karakalpakstan. The protests had broken out in response to the government’s plan to restrict the region’s long-held autonomy.

• About:
  • The name Karakalpakstan is derived from the Karakalpak people, an ethnic minority group of around 2 million.
  • Karakalpak translates to ‘black hat’, referring to their traditional headgear.
  • The Karakalpaks consider themselves to be a distinct cultural group in Uzbekistan.
  • Their Turkic language – Karakalpak – is closely related to Kazak.
  • Their separate language is a crucial aspect of their cultural identity.
  • In their genealogical narrative, the Karakalpaks claim to share a common point of origin with the neighbouring Kazakhs, Uzbeks and Turkmen but believe that over time they diverged from the others. This narrative marks the Karakalpaks as culturally separate from their neighbouring groups.
  • When Uzbekistan declared its independence from the Soviet Union in August 1991, Karakalpakstan was formally recognized as an autonomous republic in Uzbekistan’s constitution of 1992, and has the right to secede from on the basis of a nationwide referendum.

North Macedonia

• Context:
  • Nightly protests in North Macedonia over the past week have left dozens injured. At the heart of the turmoil is the small Balkan country’s long-running quest to join the European Union, a process that has faced one hurdle after the other.

• About:
  • North Macedonia is a country in Southeast Europe. It gained independence in 1991 as one of the successor states of Yugoslavia.
  • It is a landlocked country bordering Kosovo to the northwest, Serbia to the north, Bulgaria to the east, Greece to the south, and Albania to the west.
  • North Macedonia has been an EU candidate for 17 years. The country emerged from the breakup of Yugoslavia in the 1990s and sought to forge a strong national identity.
  • The most recent obstacle is a veto by EU member Bulgaria.
  • Bulgaria blocked the renamed nation’s attempts to join the EU, accusing Skopje of disrespecting shared cultural and historic ties.
  • Among Bulgaria’s key demands was an acknowledgement that the language of North Macedonia derived from Bulgarian and the recognition of a Bulgarian minority.

Paracel Islands

• Context:
  • A US destroyer sailed near the disputed Paracel Islands in the South China Sea, drawing an angry reaction from Beijing, which said its military had “driven away” the ship.

• About:
  • The Paracel Islands, also known as the Xisha Islands and the Hoang Sa Archipelago are disputed archipelago in the South China Sea.
  • The archipelago includes about 130 small coral islands and reefs, most grouped into the northeast Amphitrite Group or the western Crescent Group.

Odesa Port

• Context:
  • Following the Supreme Court verdict (2018), upholding the notification of the elephant corridor in the Sigur plateau, there has been a surge in resorts and commercial establishments mushrooming in the areas.

• About
  • Odessa Sea Port (UAODS Port) is the largest Ukrainian seaport and one of the largest ports in the Black Sea basin.
  • Its total annual traffic capacity is 40 million tonnes.
  • The types of vessels regularly calling at Odessa are Bulk Carrier (100%).
  • Along with its younger satellite ports of Chornomorsk (1958) and Yuzhne(1973), port of Odessa is a major freight and passenger transportation hub of Ukraine.
  • Odesa is the base of a fishing fleet as well as the chief operational hub of the Ukrainian Navy. Odesa is also an important cultural and educational centre.

Nicaragua

• Context:
  • Earlier this month Nicaragua shuttered seven radio stations belonging to the Catholic Church and launched an investigation into the bishop of Matagalpa, Monsignor Rolando Álvarez, accusing him of inciting violent actors “to carry out acts of hate against the population.”

• About 
  • Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the northwest, the Caribbean to the east, Costa Rica to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest.
  • Managua is the country's capital and largest city.
  • As of 2015, it was estimated to be the second largest city in Central America.

Rhine River

• Why in News?
  • Water levels on the Rhine river are very low because of unusually hot and dry weather, preventing many vessels from navigating the critical European shipping route fully loaded.

• About 
  • It is a waterway of western Europe culturally and historically one of the great rivers of the continent and among the most important arteries of industrial transport in the world. 
  • It rises in two headstreams high in the Swiss Alps.
  • It flows from two small headways in the Alps of east-central 
  • Switzerland north and west to the North Sea, into which it drains through the Netherlands.
  • It is a majorroute for products ranging from grains to chemicals and coal.
  • It is an important link between industrial producers and global export terminals in North Sea ports such as Rotterdam and Amsterdam, while canals and other rivers link the Rhine to the Danube, making it possible to ship to the Black Sea as well.

Lake Garda

• Why in News?
  • Italy’s worst drought in decades has reduced Lake Garda to near its lowest level ever recorded.

• About 
  • Lake Garda is also known as Benaco. It is the largest lake in Italy.
• Why has Lake Garda reached its lowest level?
  • Northern Italy saw significantly lower rainfall for months and snowfall in 2022 was also down 70%, drying up important rivers like the Po, which flows across Italy’s agricultural and industrial heartland.
  • The parched condition of the Po, Italy’s longest river, caused billions of euros in losses to farmers who normally rely on it to irrigate fields and rice paddies.
  • To compensate for the loss, authorities allowed more water from Lake Garda to flow out to local rivers.
  • But in late July 2022, they reduced the amount to protect the lake and the financially important tourism tied to it.

Paraguay

• Why in News?
  • External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar has unveiled a bust of Mahatma Gandhi in Asuncion, Paraguay. The Minister also visited the historic Casa de la Independencia, from where Paraguay’s Independence movement started more than two centuries ago.

• About 
  • Paraguay is a landlocked country in South America. 
  • It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to the east and northeast, and Bolivia to the northwest.
  • It is a founding member of Mercosur, the United Nations, the Organization of American States, the Non-Aligned Movement and the Lima Group.
  • Asunción is the capital and the largest city of Paraguay.

Poyang Lake

• Why in News?
  • Normally surrounded by water in August, an island in China's Poyang Lake is now fully visible, testifying to the dramatic impact of a long drought and heatwave on a vital part of the country's irrigation infrastructure.

• About
  • Poyang Lake or Poyang Hu is China's biggest freshwater lake. It is a shallow lake.
  • It is known as the “kidney” because of the role it plays in regulating the flow of the Yangtze River in central Jiangxi province.
  • Poyang Lake is a key flood outlet for the Yangtze River, which overflows during summer and can cause extensive damage to crops and property. 
  • In winter, the lake’s water flows back out into the river.
  • It is a national nature reserve, which is a rest stop for over 300 species of migratory birds, including the critically endangered Siberian crane.
  • It is home to the endangered Yangtze River or finless porpoise.
  • Poyang's hydrological functions have been eroded over the years by sand mining and the construction of the Three Gorges and other large-scale dams upstream.
  • The island that is now fully visible is known as Luoxing Pier.

Sentosa island

• Context:
  • Sentosa Island is celebrating golden jubilee year (1972-2022).

• About 
  • Sentosa Island is a tiny island off the coast of Singapore.
  • It is best known for its largely man-made beaches, scarce natural beauty and unexpected water sports.
  • Its location between China and India turned the island into a haunt for merchant sailors and pirates.
  • The island was then known as Pulau Blankang Mati, which means “island of death behind” in Malay because of its bloody reputation.
  • During World War II, Sentosa Island was transformed into a Japanese prisoner of war camp when the British colonial forces surrendered.
  • The island was renamed Syonan-to, which means “light of the south.”
  • The Sentosa Development Corporation has given space to local artisans to display their craft, which draws a steady flow of visitors during weekends.
  • It has a Museum of icecream, where you can learn about the world’s most loved summer treat, and play in a cheery “sprinkle pool.

Bosnia

• Context:
  • Bosnia’s presidential and parliamentary elections were held recently amid its worst political crisis since the end of the 1992-95 war.

 

• About:
  
  • Bosnia and Herzegovina is country situated in the western Balkan Peninsula of Europe.
  • The capital of the country is Sarajevo.
  • It has borders with Croatia (at the Southwest and the largest part of the North), Serbia (at the Northeast) and Montenegro (at the Southeast).

Burkina Faso

• Context:
  • Burkina Faso witnesses second coup of the year.

• About:
  
  • Burkina Faso is a landlocked country in West Africa, bordered by Mali to the northwest, Niger to the northeast, Benin to the southeast, Togo and Ghana to the south, and the Ivory Coast to the southwest.
  • It was previously called Republic of Upper Volta.
  • Its capital and largest city is Ouagadougou.
  • The country owes its former name of Upper Volta to three rivers which cross it: the Black Volta (or Mouhoun), the White Volta (Nakambé) and the Red Volta (Nazinon).

Mauna Loa Volcano

• Context:
  • Mauna Loa, the largest active volcano in the world, may erupt in the near future.
• Where is Mauna Loa?
  • Mauna Loa is one of five volcanoes that together make up the Big Island of Hawaii.
• 
  • It is the southernmost island in the Hawaiian archipelago.
  • It’s not the tallest (that title goes to Mauna Kea) but it’s the largest and makes up about half of the island’s land mass.
  • It sits immediately north of Kilauea volcano, which is currently erupting from its summit crater.
  • Kilauea is well-known for a 2018 eruption that destroyed 700 homes and sent rivers of lava spreading across farms and into the ocean.
  • Mauna Loa last erupted 38 years ago.

Arctic fires

• According to a study, the fires triggered in Arctic forests by rising temperatures caused by global warming, in turn, can lead the world deeper into crisis.
• Arctic Fires – Wild fires that occur in tundra and boreal forests along the Arctic Circle.
• They occur mostly in summer and are infrequent in nature.
• Impact of global warming – As the Arctic warms, the fire season is longer with more frequent and intense fires.
• Arctic soils store huge amounts of organic carbon, much of it in peatlands in frozen condition.
• Climate warming thaws and dries peatland soil, makes intense Arctic fires likely to happen.
• Zombie fires – Fires in peat can smoulder for long time and when they come back, they emit lot of smoke and are difficult to extinguish.
• They come back from dead fire like zombies, hence known as zombie fires.

Vanuatu

• Climate change is an existential threat in the islands of the Pacific says Vanuatu-led group of small Pacific islands.
• 
  • Vanuatu, officially the Republic of Vanuatu, is a Melanesian island nation located in the South Pacific Ocean.
  • The capital of the Republic of Vanuatu is Port Vila.
  • Vanuatu is a Y-shaped archipelago of 83 islands and is northeast of Australia.
  • Vanuatu is recognized as a distinct terrestrial ecoregion, known as the Vanuatu rain forests.
  • Vanuatu is part of the Australasia Ecozone.
  • Vanuatu is under existential threat affecting livelihoods, security and well-being due to climate change.
  • Its sea level is rising at twice the average global rate and would continue to rise through the 21st century.
  • But, it contributes less than 0.0018% of global greenhouse gas emissions and is a carbon-negative country.

Semeru Volcano of Indonesia

• Context:
  • Recently, the Semeru volcano erupted in Indonesia’s Eastern Java Island.
• What is Semeru Volcano?

• Semeru – also known as “The Great Mountain” – is the highest volcano in Java and one of the most active.
• It previously erupted in December 2021.
• Indonesia, with the maximum number of active volcanoes in the world, is prone to seismic upheaval due to its location on the Pacific’s Ring of Fire.
• Semeru volcano is also part of the Island arcs formed by the subduction of the Indo-Australian plate below the Sunda Plate (part of the Eurasian Plate). The trench formed here is called the Sunda trench whose major section is the Java Trench.
• What is the Pacific Ring of Fire?
  • The Ring of Fire also referred to as the Circum-Pacific Belt, is a path along the Pacific Ocean characterized by active volcanoes and frequent earthquakes.
  • It traces boundaries between several tectonic plates—including the Pacific, Cocos, Indian-Australian, Nazca, North American, and Philippine Plates.
• What are Island Arcs?
  • They are long, curved chains of oceanic islands associated with intense volcanic and seismic activity and orogenic (mountain-building) processes.
  • An island arc typically has a land mass or a partially enclosed, unusually shallow sea on its concave side.
  • Along the convex side there almost invariably exists a long, narrow deep-sea trench.
  • The greatest ocean depths are found in these depressions of the seafloor, as in the case of the Mariana (deepest trench in the world) and Tonga trenches.
  • Prime examples of this form of the geologic feature include the Aleutian-Alaska Arc and the Kuril-Kamchatka Arc.

Great Lakes

• Context:
  • Scientists are building a sensor network to detect the trends in the water chemistry (acidification process) of Lake Huron, one of the five Great Lakes of North America.
  • It is the first step towards developing a system that would be capable of measuring the carbon dioxide and pH levels of the Great Lakes over several years.
• What are Great Lakes?
  • The Great Lakes, also called the Great Lakes of North America, are a series of large interconnected freshwater lakes in the mid-east region of North America that connect to the Atlantic Ocean via the Saint Lawrence River.
  • There are five lakes, which are Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario and are in general on or near the Canada–United States border.

• Hydrologically, lakes Michigan and Huron are a single body joined at the Straits of Mackinac.
• The Great Lakes Waterway enables modern travel and shipping by water among the lakes.
• The Great Lakes are the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total area and are second-largest by total volume, containing 21% of the world's surface fresh water by volume.
• The Great Lakes began to form at the end of the Last Glacial Period around 14,000 years ago, as retreating ice sheets exposed the basins they had carved into the land, which then filled with meltwater.
• The lakes have been a major source for transportation, migration, trade, and fishing, serving as a habitat to many aquatic species in a region with much biodiversity.
• The surrounding region is called the Great Lakes region, which includes the Great Lakes Megalopolis.

Some facts regarding Great Lakes:

• Lake Michigan is the only one of the Great Lakes that is completely within the United States.
• The other four form a natural border between Canada and the United States.
• Lake Superior is the largest and the deepest of the Great Lakes.
• Lake Ontario is the smallest.
• Lake Erie is the shallowest.
• Lake Huron has the longest shoreline.

What is meant by acidification of the water body (lake or ocean)?

• Acidification of oceans or freshwater bodies takes place when excess carbon dioxide in the atmosphere gets rapidly absorbed into them.
• Absorption of carbon dioxide leads to a lowering of the pH, which makes the water bodies more acidic. The pH scale runs from 0 to 14, with 7 being a neutral pH.
• It is known that the increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide has caused the world’s oceans to turn more acidic.
• Recently, it has been observed that by 2100, even the Great Lakes — Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario — might approach acidity at around the same rate as the oceans.
• That's why reaserchers are measuring CO2 in Great lakes.

Croatia’s Entry into Schengen Zone

• Context:
  • Recently, Croatia adopted the euro currency and enter Europe’s passport-free Schengen zone after nearly a decade after joining the European Union.
  • Croatia welcomes the Euro – a significant milestone for citizens and businesses alike, contributing to easier trade and investments, reduced transaction costs and increased financial stability overall.

• Schengen Zone 
  • The border-free Schengen Area guarantees free movement to more than 400 million EU citizens, along with non-EU nationals living in the EU or visiting the EU as tourists, exchange students, or for business purposes (anyone legally present in the EU). 
  • Free movement of persons enables every EU citizen to travel, work and live in an EU country without special formalities. 
  • Schengen underpins this freedom by enabling citizens to move around the Schengen Area without being subject to border checks.
  • Joining by Croatia: It will also be the 27th nation in the passport-free Schengen zone.

Guyana

• Context:
  • The Prime Minister of India met the President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali, on the sidelines of the 17th Pravasi Bhartiya Divas in Indore, Madhya Pradesh on 9th January 2023.
  • President Irfaan Ali is the Chief Guest at the Pravasi Bhartiya Divas.
  • They discussed several issues including cooperation in energy, infrastructure development, pharmaceuticals, healthcare, technology and innovation, and defence cooperation.
  • Guyana is officially known as the Cooperative Republic of Guyana.

• The country is bordered by;
• The Atlantic Ocean in the North.
• Brazil in the South and Southwest.
• Venezuela in the West.
• Suriname in the East.
• it is one of the least densely populated countries on Earth.
• It has a wide variety of natural habitats and very high biodiversity. It has one of the highest levels of biodiversity in the world.
• Nearly 41% of the population lives below the poverty line.
• The country’s population is racially and ethnically heterogeneous, with ethnic groups originating from India, Africa, Europe and China, as well as indigenous or aboriginal peoples.
• It is the only South American nation in which English is the official language.
• The main economic activities are agriculture, bauxite and gold mining, timber, shrimp fishing and minerals.
• The economy has been transformed by the discovery of crude oil in 2015 and commercial drilling in 2019.

Andes Mountains

• Context:
  • The United Nations refugee agency recently reported that seven Haitian migrants have died in the Andean highlands of Peru as anti-government protests have prevented them from crossing into Bolivia.

• About Andes Mountains:
  • The Andes is the longest above-water mountain range in the world.
  • The Andes Mountains extend over seven countries:Argentina (Mount Aconcagua), Bolivia (Huayna Potosi), Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela, known as Andean States.
  • It is about 5,500 miles (8,900 km) long and second only to the Himalayas in average elevation.
  • It consists of a succession of parallel and transverse mountain ranges, or cordilleras, and of intervening plateaus and depressions.
  • The highest elevation in the Andes is Mount Aconcagua in Argentina, which is 22,841 feet (6,962 m) above sea level.
  • The Andes are also home to the world’s highest volcano when measured above sea level, the Ojos del Salado on the Chile-Argentina border.
  • The Andes Mountains are over 50 million years old, they were created when the South American and Pacific tectonic plates collided. 
• Key facts about Peru:
  • Peru is the third largest country in South America, after Brazil and Argentina.
  • It is made up of a variety of landscapes, from mountains and beaches to deserts and rain forests. 
  • Capital: Lima
  • The world's largest rain forest, the Amazon, covers nearly half of Peru.
  • Peru shares borders with Colombia, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, and Ecuador.

River Oder

• Context:
  • Oder river ecological disaster that killed hundreds of tonnes of fish in 2022 was human-made: Report. It is almost certain that a substantial toxic algal bloom, supported by human activity, caused the ecological destruction.

• Details:
  • Last summer, the banks of the River Oder in Poland was a picture of doomsday — hundreds of dead fish washed up every day.
  • From mid-July through mid-September, over 360 tonnes of fish would have died, along with many other aquatic creatures – a clear sign that the ecosystem of the river has been pushed beyond its tipping point. The rot spread over 500 kilometres along the river.
  • The disaster also directly and indirectly impacted nature protection areas /protected habitats and their protected species alongside the Oder River.
  • A new report by the European Union (EU)investigating the incident has confirmed initial concerns — the destruction was caused by toxic algal bloom made possible by anthropogenic factors.
• Causes:
  • It is almost certain that a substantial toxic algal bloom caused their deaths. The causal species: Prymnesium parvum, is adapted to brackish salinities. A key factor enabling the proliferation of this species was the high salinity of the river during this time, probably in part resulting from discharges of saline industrial wastewater e.g. from mining.
  • Other contributing factors were the drought and resulting low water levels reducing dilution and flow and also hydromorphological modifications to the river.
  • High nutrient concentrations, especially phosphorus and nitrogen, are also key in promoting such blooms.
• About the river:
  • The river is one of Europe’s 20 large rivers and is valuable to the livelihoods of and recreation of the 16 million people residing in its catchment area and beyond.
  • It also serves as a focus for nature preservation with numerous Natura 2000 sites located along its length.
  • It originates in the Czech Republic, flows through western Poland, forms the border between Poland and Germany, then drains north to the Szczecin Lagoon near Szczecin.
  • It is Poland's second-longest river in total length and third-longest within its borders after the Vistula and Warta.
  • Common name: golden algae
• Identification: 
  • Prymnesium parvumis a microscopic, single-celled algae with four morphologically distinct forms
  • Three of the forms are scaled, bi-flagellated, and have a flexible, non-coiling, needle-like filament called a haptonema.
  • The fourth form is a scaled, non-motile, siliceous cyst
  • Size: Cells are 6 to 12 µm long and 3.5 to 8 µm wide
  • Native Range:  P. parvum is ubiquitous worldwide in temperate zones.

Port of Haifa

• Context:
  • The Adani Group recently acquired the strategic Israeli port of Haifa for USD 1.2 billion.

• About Haifa Port:
  • Location: It is located in northern Israel, adjacent to the city of Haifa along the Mediterranean sea.
  • It is also located on the busy Suez Canal shipping route.
  • The Haifa port is one of the two biggest commercial ports in Israel.
  • It handles nearly half of the country's container cargo and is also the nation's principal port for passenger traffic and cruise ships.
  • It has a natural deep-water harbor, which operates all year long.
  • The facility features two container terminals and two multi-cargo terminals. 
  • The Port of Haifa was constructed in 1933 by the British. Since 1948, it has been rebuilt and developed by the Israeli government.

Transnistria

• Context:
  • Transnistria, the tiny breakaway region of Moldova, risks being dragged into the Russia-Ukraine war because of reports of a series of explosions in its territory.

• About:
  • The de facto state lies between Moldova to its west and Ukraine towards its east.
  • Often described as a “remnant of the Soviet Union”, Transnistria declared independence like Moldova did soon after the break-up of the Soviet Union.
  • When Moldovan troops attempted to take over the territory in 1990-1992, Transnistria was able to resist them because of Russian soldiers based in Transnistria.
  • Since then, it has remained free of Moldovan control. However, most countries continue to see Transnistria as part of Moldova.
  • Transnistria is not recognised as independent even by Russia and its economy is dependent on Russia for subsidies and free gas. Most Transnistrians have dual citizenship of Russia and Transnistria or triple citizenship of Moldova, Transnistria, and Russia.

West Bank

• Context:
  • Israel's Supreme Court has rejected a petition against the eviction of more than 1,000 Palestinian inhabitants of a rural part of the occupied West Bank in an area which Israel has designated for military exercises.

• About:
  • West Bank is a landlocked territory in West Asia. It also contains a significant section of the western Dead Sea.
  • It was captured by Jordan after the Arab-Israeli War (1948) but Israel snatched it back during the Six-Day War of 1967 and has occupied it ever since.
  • The West Bank is sandwiched between Israel and Jordan.
  • One of its major cities is Ramallah, the de facto administrative capital of Palestine.
  • At present, there are around 130 formal Israeli settlements along with 26 lakh Palestinians at West Bank.
  • Masafer Yatta is in 60% of the territory where the Palestinian Authority is prohibited from operating.
  • The Palestinians want the West Bank to form the main part of their future state.

La Reunion

• Context:
  • The navies of India and France recently conducted their second joint patrolling in the French island of La Reunion in the South-Western Indian Ocean.

• About: 
  • Réunion is a French overseas department and overseas region in the western Indian Ocean.
  • It is located approximately 950km east of the island of Madagascar and 175 km southwest of the island of Mauritius.
  • Réunion is an outermost region of the European Union and is part of the eurozone.
  • Réunion and the fellow French overseas department of Mayotte are the only eurozone regions located in the Southern Hemisphere.

Odessa

• Context:
  • Russia forces pounded the vital port of Odessa as part of an apparent effort to disrupt supply lines and weapons shipments.

• About:
  • Odessa or Odesa is the third most populous city and municipality in Ukraine and a major seaport and transport hub located in the southwest of the country, on the northwestern shore of the Black Sea.
  • The city is also the administrative centre of the Odessa Raion and Odessa Oblast.
  • Odessa is sometimes called the “Pearl by the Sea”, the “Southern Capital”, “Odessa-mama” and “The Humour Capital”, as well as “Southern Palmyra”.
  • Odessa is a warm-water port. The city of Odessa hosts both the Port of Odessa and Port Yuzhne, a significant oil terminal situated in the city's suburbs.