Madhika Language
The language is on the brink of extinction.
- Spoken by – Chakaliya Community
- Script – No Script.
- Influenced by – Havyaka Kannada; a blend of Telugu, Tulu, Kannada, and Malayalam.
- Initiatives – Scheme for Protection and Preservation of Endangered Languages (SPPEL), Establishment of Centres for Endangered Languages in Central Universities
AYUSH Diksha
Central government laid foundation stone of “AYUSH Diksha”
- Location – Central Ayurveda Research Institute (CARI), Bhubaneswar.
- Function – To provide teacher-training program to all the stakeholders of AYUSH, in general, and Ayurveda in particular at national level
- Significance – First-of-its-kind center for the development of human resources for AYUSH professionals.
- CARI – A unit under Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS).
Binturong and Small-clawed otter
Two new mammalian species were added to list of fauna in Assam’s Kaziranga National Park.
- Listed under – Schedule I of Wildlife Protection Act 1972.
- Binturong (Bearcat) – Largest civet in India native to South-East Asia.
- Distribution: India (Meghalaya, Sikkim), Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, etc.
- Conservation: Vulnerable (IUCN); Appendix III (CITES).
- Small-clawed otter (Asian Small-clawed Otter) – Primarily found in freshwater habitats.
- Distribution: India (West Bengal, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala), Southeast Asia and Southern China.
- Conservation: Vulnerable (IUCN); Appendix I (CITES)
Aravalli Hills
Apex court opined to stop mining activities in Aravalli range detrimental to environment.
- Aravalli Hills – One of the oldest fold mountains of world.
- Pass though – States of Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana and Union territory of Delhi
- Highest peak – Guru Shikhar, near Mount Abu Rajasthan.
- Rivers – Banas and Sahibi (tributaries of Yamuna) and Luni River originate from Aravalli.
- Significance –
- Acts as water divide between Indus and Ganga Basins.
- Source of Rich Mineral like Zinc, Gold, Silver, Copper, Dolomite, Marble etc
Project BHISHM (Bharat Health Initiative for Sahyog, Hita and Maitri)
Aarogya Maitri Aid Cube designed indigenously under Project BHISHM unveiled recently.
- World’s 1st portable hospital
- Important project – Arogya Maitri Disaster Management Cube (Arogya Maitri Aid Cube)
- Launched in – Gurugram
- Aim – To develop a world-class disaster hospital.