Pandaram Islands
Lakshadweep administration continues to number trees on Pandaram lands.
- Defined under – Laccadive Minicoy and Amini Islands Land Revenue and Tenancy Regulation, 1965
- Pandaram Land – Land in which Government has, a proprietary right immediately before the commencement of this Regulation and includes any land in which government may acquire such rights under this Regulation or under any other law.
- Jenman Land – Land other than pandaram land over which a person has proprietary rights under the customary law of the Islands.
Paruveta Utsavam
Efforts are being made to get UNESCO to declare the ongoing annual ‘Paruveta utsavam’ as an ‘intangible cultural heritage’.
- Paruveta Utsavam – A mock hunting festival
- Starts on – Makarasankranthi and lasts for about 40 to 45 days.
- Location – Sri Narasimha Swamy temple, Ahobilam in Andhra Pradesh.
- Ahobilam –
- Situated amidst Nallamala Forest in Eastern Ghats
- Centre of worship of Narasimha, the lion-headed avatar of Lord Vishnu.
- One of 108 Divya Desams (Temples of Shri Vishnu).
Rhodamine B
Sale of cotton candy has been banned in Tamil Nadu after samples reveal use of Rhodamine
- Rhodamine-B – An organic chloride salt used as a colouring agent for dyeing in textile, paper, leather, and paint industry as artificial colouring agent.
- Issue – Used in food industry despite prohibitions by Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI)
- Impact on human health –
- Immediate effect – Stomach fullness, itching, and breathing problems.
- Potential Chronic Health Effects – Liver dysfunction, Intestine cancers, neurotoxicity, and Kidney failure.
Jnanpith
The 58th Jnanpith Award for the year 2023 has been awarded to Jagadguru Swami Rambhadracharya ji for Sanskrit and Shri Gulzar for Urdu.
- Given by – Bharatiya Jnanpith annually since 1965
- Significance – Recognized as the highest literary award.
- Conferred for – Literature in Indian languages and English.
- Presented by – Presidents, Prime Ministers and international celebrities.
YUVIKA
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is organizing YUVIKA.
- YUVIKA – YUva VIgyani KAryakram
- Objectives –
- Impart basic knowledge on Space Science, Space Technology, and Space Applications to the younger students.
- Encourage more students to pursue Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) based research and aligned careers.
- Program includes – Classroom training, practical demonstration of experiments, model rocketry interactions with ISRO scientists, and field visits.