HAMPI STONE CHARIOT
Tourists can no longer get too close to the iconic stone chariot in front of the Vijaya Vittala Temple at Hampi, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
About:
- The architectural marvel, one of the most photographed monuments, has been cordoned off by a chain barricade by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
- The ASI put up the barricade to prevent people from touching or climbing the monument and causing damage to it in any way.
JASDAN
Leaving their known habitat in Dhari in Gir (east) wildlife division in Amreli district, three Asiatic lions have walked around 100 km to reach Jasdan taluka of Rajkot district, Gujarat and have been camping in a grassland and revenue areas of Jasdan for a week now. This is for the second year in a row that lions have visited Jasdan.
About:
- Lions keep moving from surrounding areas to Gir National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary (NGPWLS), creating what is called lion corridors.
- But their Jasdan visit differs for the fact that it is second year in a row, that too around same time of the year. Also, Jasdan is not connected to Amreli by any contiguous riverine patch associated with corridors like Krakach.
- Lions are considered top predators of grassland and shrubland ecosystems. Jasdan, Vinchhiya and Chotila talukas have grasslands, both private as well as in protected forest areas.
INTERNATIONAL CIVIL AVIATION DAY
International Civil Aviation Day is being observed on 7 December.
About:
- The purpose of International Civil Aviation Day is to help generate awareness of the importance of international civil aviation and of the unique role of ICAO in helping States to cooperate and realize a truly global rapid transit network at the service of all mankind.
- Every five years, coinciding with ICAO anniversaries, the ICAO Council establishes a special anniversary theme for International Civil Aviation Day. Between these anniversary years, Council representatives select a single theme for the full four-year intervening period.
- The Council has decided that from now until 2023, the theme will be: “Advancing Innovation for Global Aviation Development”.
AYUSH EXPORT PROMOTION COUNCIL
Ministry of Commerce and Industry and Ministry of AYUSH have decided to set up an AYUSH Export Promotion Council to boost AYUSH exports.
This decision was taken recently in a joint review of AYUSH trade and Industry by Minister of Commerce and Industry and Minister of AYUSH. The following are the action points that emerged from the meeting:
- Ministry of AYUSH and Ministry of Commerce and Industry will work together for establishing an AYUSH Export Promotion Council (AEPC). The proposed AEPC can be housed at Ministry of AYUSH.
- Standardisation of HS code for AYUSH will be expedited.
- Ministry of AYUSH will work in collaboration with Bureau of Indian standards to develop international standards for AYUSH products as well as services.
- AYUSH industry will work on ensuring quality and standards of AYUSH products as well as to become price-competitive.
- AYUSH will figure in the Brand India activities.
MIXOPATHY
The Government of India has notified compulsory surgical procedures for PG students of Ayurveda.
About:
- On November 19, a government notification listed out specific surgical procedures that a postgraduate medical student of Ayurveda must be “practically trained to acquaint with, as well as to independently perform”.
- The notification has invited sharp criticism from the Indian Medical Association, which questioned the competence of Ayurveda practitioners to carry out these procedures, and called the notification an attempt at “mixopathy”.
- The IMA has planned nationwide protests on December 8 against this notification, and has threatened to withdraw all non-essential and non-Covid services on December 11.
How far is surgery part of Ayurveda?
- Ayurveda practitioners take pride in the fact that their methods trace their origins to Sushruta, an ancient Indian sage and physician, whose comprehensive medical treatise Sushruta Samhita has also detailed accounts of surgical procedures and instruments.
- There are two branches of surgery in Ayurveda — Shalya Tantra, which refers to general surgery, and Shalakya Tantra which pertains to surgeries related to the eyes, ears, nose, throat and teeth.
PETROLEUM BOARD’S NEW UNIFIED TARIFF STRUCTURE
The Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) has notified a new tariff structure for 14 natural gas pipelines, which, it says, aims to reduce the cost of natural gas for users further away from sources of natural gas and LNG terminals on the west coast of the country.
About:
- Under the new unified tariff structure, buyers will be charged a fixed tariff for the transport of gas within 300 kms of a source and a fixed tariff for the transport of gas beyond 300 kms on a single pipeline network.
- This would be significantly cheaper for buyers further away from the source of gas who were earlier charged on the basis of the number of pipelines used and the distance from the source of gas.
- Therefore, a buyer using multiple pipelines in GAIL’s networks would likely benefit significantly from this change.
GEOGRAPHICAL INDICATION (GIs)
The Himachal Pradesh government is trying to obtain GIs (Geographical Indication) for five products from the state – Karsog Kulth, Thangi of Pangi, Chamba Metal Crafts, Chamba Chukh, and Rajmah of Bharmour.
What is special about these five products from Himachal?
- Karsog Kulth: Kulthi or Kulth (horse gram) is a legume grown as a kharif crop in Himachal Pradesh. Kulth grown in the Karsog area of Mandi district is believed to be particularly rich in amino acids.
- Pangi ki Thangi: It is a type of hazelnut which grows in Pangi valley located in the north-western edge of Himachal. It is known for its unique flavour and sweetness.
- Chamba metal crafts: These include items such as metal idols and brass utensils which, historically, were made by skilled artisans in the courts of kings of Chamba. There are efforts to revive the trade, and a plate made from a brass-like alloy and having carvings of gods and goddesses is still popular.
- Chamba Chukh: It’s a chutney made from green and red chillies grown in Chamba, and prepared in traditional and unique ways. The practice has largely declined in rural households of Chamba, but survives to some extent at the small-scale industrial level.
- Bharmouri Rajmah: It’s more specifically called the Kugtalu Rajmah, since it grows in the area around Kugti Pass in the Bharmour region of Chamba district. It is rich in proteins and has a unique flavour.
DAHANU
Villagers in Vadhavan in Maharashtra’s Dahanu taluka, about 131 km from Mumbai, protested against a biodiversity survey commissioned by the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) for the construction of the Vadhavan Port that received in-principle approval from the Union Cabinet in February.
About:
- Dahanu is one of the eight talukas in Maharashtra’s newest district of Palghar, which was created in 2014.
- But over two decades prior to that, the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) had, under the provisions of The Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, declared Dahanu an “ecologically fragile area” and imposed restrictions on setting up of industries that have a detrimental effect on the environment.
- The locals have said that the construction of the port will not only hurt the flora and fauna of Dahanu, but will also disrupt allied activities like fishing and farming.
- Dahanu was only one of three places in India where live conches can be found, and which gives the seafront of Vadhavan the name of “Shankhodar”. The rocks, moss, and corals in the sea are favourable not just for fishing but also for fish seeding.
RBI TIGHTENS OVERSIGHT OF NBFCs, UCBs
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) announced the introduction of risk-based internal audit norms for large urban cooperative banks (UCBs) and non-banking financial companies (NBFCs), as part of measures aimed at improving governance and assurance functions at supervised entities.
About:
- The RBI also moved to harmonise the guidelines on appointment of statutory auditors for commercial banks, UCBs and NBFCs in order to improve the quality of financial reporting.
- The growing significance of NBFCs and their interlinkages with different parts of the financial system had made it imperative to enhance the sector’s resilience. Thus it had been decided to put in place transparent criteria for the declaration of dividends by different categories of NBFCs.
- With a view to deepening financial markets, regional rural banks would be allowed to access the liquidity adjustment facility (LAF) and marginal standing facility (MSF) of the RBI, as also the call/notice money market.
- To significantly improve the ecosystem of digital payment channels with robust security and convenience for users, the RBI has proposed to issue Digital Payment Security Controls directions for the regulated entities.
BHASAN CHAR
Bhasan Char, the site where Bangladesh has begun sending Rohingya refugees from the overcrowded camps at Cox’s Bazar, is an island formed by sedimentation (char is Bengali for sediment) close to the coast.
About:
- It is estimated that more than 8 lakh Rohingya, who fled an army crackdown in Myanmar’s Rakhine Province in 2016 , live in the camps at Cox’s Bazar in unhygienic conditions.
- Bangladesh’s plan is to move some 1 lakh refugees to Bhasan Char, 39 km from Naokhali on the mainland.
- Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said it would be a temporary measure. One of her ministers said those relocated to the island would not be allowed to leave from there unless they are going back to Myanmar. The decision has evoked international concern.
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