A.P. flags off country’s first ‘fruit train’

• A ‘fruit train’, said to be the first of its kind in the country, was recently flagged off from Tadipatri Railway Station👀 in Andhra Pradesh.
• The fruit train was carrying a load of 980 metric tonnes of locally grown bananas to the Jawaharlal Nehru Port in Mumbai👀, from where the consignment will be exported to Iran👀.
• This is the first time in India that an entire train is being sent to the gateway port (JNPT) for export.
• This helps save both time and fuel as 150 trucks would have been required to send a consignment of this size by road to JNPT, which is over 900 km away, before the temperature-controlled containers are loaded on ships.

Tyler Prize for the environment:

The Tyler Prize 2020 has been awarded to two pioneers who quantified the economic value of our natural environment👀. Of two, one is from India- Pavan Sukhdev.

About the Prize:

1. Established in 1973 by the late John and Alice Tyler.
2. This global environmental prize recognizes individuals who have contributed in an outstanding manner to the scientific knowledge and public leadership to preserve and enhance the environment of the world. 
3. Recipients encompass the spectrum of environmental concerns, including environmental policy, health, air and water pollution, ecosystem disruption and loss of biodiversity, and energy resources.

New mascot for National Games: flame-throated bulbul:

The flame-throated bulbul, also called the Rubigula👀, was chosen as the mascot of the 36th National Games to be held in Goa because it is the State bird.

Key facts:

• Endemic to southern peninsular India.
• IUCN status:Least Concern.
• Listed in Schedule – IV of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.

Ujh Multipurpose (National) Project:

The project is planned to be constructed in Kathua District of J&K on the River Ujh which is a major tributary of River Ravi👀.

The project, after completion, will enhance the utilization of waters of Eastern Rivers allotted to India as per the Indus Water Treaty.

The Ujh river originates in Kailash mountains (near Bhaderwah hills, part of the Pir Panjal Range) at an altitude of 4,300 metres (14,100 ft).

Four streams, Bhini, Sutar, Dunarki and Talan join Ujh at Panjtirthi.

Burhi Dihing river:

 A stretch of the eastern Assam’s Burhi Dihing River was recently on fire for the last two days due to a leakage in the underwater oil pipeline.

Key facts:

Dihing or Burhi Dihing is a large tributary of the Brahmaputra River in Upper Assam👀.

Originates in the Eastern Himalayas (the Patkai Hills) in Arunachal Pradesh and flows through Tinsukia and Dibrugarh Districts in Assam to its confluence with the Brahmaputra at Dihingmukh👀.

Mukti Caravan:

It was recently flagged off in Rajasthan.

Significance: It is mobilising people against child trafficking with the focus on generating awareness about preventive procedures in place to combat forced labour, exploitation and sexual abuse of children👀.

Objective: Led by the child labour survivors, the caravan will reach out to villages and towns prone to human trafficking. The participants will distribute pamphlets and hold discussions with the people at public places and organise activities such as skits, poem recitation and screening of short films with an appeal to take action against trafficking.

Organisers: The Kailash Satyarthi Children’s Foundation (KSCF) and Rajasthan Police👀 have joined hands to run the campaign, which will be joined by the Superintendents of Police in the districts of their jurisdiction.

 nCoV outbreak declared a State calamity in Kerala:

• Kerala has declared the novel coronavirus (nCoV) infectiona State calamity.
• So far, there have been three confirmed cases.
• The decision will help ensure that the outbreak is controlled.

Mt. Aconcagua:

A 12-year old Mumbai student, Kaamya Karthikeyan has set a record of becoming the youngest in the world to summit Mt. Aconcagua.

About Mt. Aconcagua:

It is the highest peak of the Andes Mountains in Argentina, South America👀.

It is the highest mountain outside of Asia, with a summit elevation of 6,960.8 metres.

The mountain is one of the so-called Seven Summits of the seven continents👀.

Pangolin:

Pangolins could be responsible for the spread of the deadly coronavirus in China, scientists have said after they found the genome sequence separated from the endangered mammals 99 per cent identical to that from infected people.

Background:

Birds and animals are in the centre of the debate about how the virus originated. In the beginning, snakes were blamed for the virus.

Chinese health experts later contended that the virus originated from bats, but whether there are more intermediate carriers between bats and humans requires further investigation. The virus was believed to have been spread from Wuhan’s Hunan seafood wholesale market.

About Pangolin:

• It is the only scaly mammal on the planet👀.
• According to Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), it is also the most illegally traded vertebrate within its class (Mammalia).
• Protection Status: Chinese pangolin has been listed as “critically endangered” by UN affiliated International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List. Indian pangolin (Manis crassicaudata) has been listed as “endangered” in IUCN Red List. It is also a Schedule I category protected animal, under the Wildlife Protection Act (1972).

Sham Singh Atariwala:

• Sham Singh Attariwala (1790 – 1846) was a general of the Sikh Empire👀.
• Attariwala participated in many campaigns, including the Battles of Multan, Kashmir and the Frontier Province.
• Owing to his courage and influence over the Khalsa army, Sham Singh was nominated to the Council of Regency set up by Maharani Jind Kaur for the minor sovereign Maharaja Duleep Singh.
• During the first Anglo-Sikh war, he crossed the Sutlej, vowing to lay down his life rather than return in defeat👀.

Context: 174^th death anniversary of Sikh General Sardar Sham Singh Attariwala observes on Feb 10^th.

 Chindu Yakshaganam:

Chindu Yakshaganam, a.k.a Chindu Bhagavatam is a form of theatre practised by members of the Chindu Madiga community👀.

• It is a form of entertainment in villages across Telangana, with the artists skilfully depicting classic tales from the epics and entertaining the masses.
• The art form probably started when people enacted acts of hunting, wars and other acts of valour👀.
• The Chindu community has traditionally been a nomadic community.

Gagarin Research and Test Cosmonaut Training Centre (GCTC):

It is in Moscow, Russia.

Why in News?

Four Indian pilots have begun astronaut training here.

The full programme includes basic or generic astronaut training followed by activities specific to the first Indian human space mission, Gaganyaan.

At the end of all training modules in India and Russia, one or two of the four will be finally named to circle the earth in the first crewed Gaganyaan, which is planned around 2022.

Integrated Air Defence Weapon System:

• The Integrated Air Defence Weapon System, also known as the National Advanced Surface to Air Missile System (NASAMS)👀, provides integrated air missile defence and is currently deployed around Washington, DC.
• The IADWS system includes radar, launchers, targeting, and guidance systems, advanced medium-range air-to-air missile (AMRAAM)👀 and Stinger missiles, and related equipment and support.

Why in News?

The U.S. Department of State has approved the potential sale of a $1.867 billion Integrated Air Defence Weapon System (IADWS) to India.

J.R.D. Tata:

It was on February 10, 1929 that India got its its first pilot in Jehangir R.D. Tata👀 who qualified with number 1 on his flying licence, giving birth to Indian aviation.

• R.D’s licence, then called an ‘aviators certificate’👀 was issued by The Aero Club of India and Burma👀, an associate of the Royal Aero Club of Great Britain, which was authorised to issue licences by the British Empire’s Federation Aeronautique Internationale.
• The Aero Club of India and Burma was recognised by Federation Aeronautique Internationale as a sporting authority.
• Though not the first to register, J.R.D was the first Indian to pass out with ‘No. 1’ endorsed on his flying licence. Purushottam Meghji Kabali👀 is by various aviator accounts considered to be the first Indian pilot.

Exercise AJEYA WARRIOR – 2020:

The fifth edition of the Joint Military Exercise AJEYA WARRIOR – 2020 between India and the United Kingdom will be conducted at Salisbury Plains, United Kingdom in February 2020.

• The aim of this exercise is to conduct company level joint training with emphasis on counter terrorists operation in urban and semi-urban areas.
• The first edition of the exercise was conducted in 2013 at Belgaum,

World Pulses Day:

• Established by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to recognize the importance of pulses as a global food.
• It has been designated on February 10 each year since 2019 by the seventy-third session of the United Nations General Assembly on December 20, 2018.

Safer Internet Day:

This year, February 11 is being observed as Safer Internet Day (SID)👀.

The SID initiative first began in Europe👀 but is now recognised in around 150 countries worldwide.

Aim: To increase awareness about emerging online issues, such as cyberbullying, and chooses a topic reflecting current concerns.

• This year, the theme is “Together for a better internet”👀.
• It is organised by the Insafe/INHOPE👀 network of awareness centres, that is spread across 30 countries and is funded by the Connecting Europe Facility program (CEF) 👀of the EU.
• In India, the New Delhi-based NGO DISC (Developing Internet Safe Community) Foundation is the SID Committee.

Storm Ciara:

• It is a latest storm to hit Northern Europe👀.
• It is expected to hit Ireland, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and Germany.
• In Germany, it is being referred to as ‘Sabine’👀. The storm has two names because there isn’t yet a pan-European system in place for labeling weather systems.

International Day of Women and Girls in Science:

February 11 was the International Day of Women and Girls in Science.

It was established by the United Nations to promote equal access to and participation in science for women and girls.

Key facts:

1. According to a 2018 fact sheet prepared by UNESCO on women in science, just 28.8% of researchers are women.
2. It defines researchers as “professionals engaged in the conception or creation of new knowledge”.In India, this drops to 13.9%.
3. Between 1901 and 2019, 334 Nobel Prizes have been awarded to 616 Laureates in Physics, Chemistry and Medicine, of which just 20 have been won by 19 women. The double Laureate is Marie Curie.
4. In 2019, the American mathematician Karen Uhlenbeck👀became the first woman to win the Abel Prize, following 16 male mathematicians.
5. The Fields Medal so far has also been awarded to only one woman mathematician, the late Maryam Mirzakhani👀 of Iran, as opposed to 59 men since 1936.

Indian nationals living abroad:

• There are over 1.36 crore Indian nationals living abroad, as per the latest data.
• The highest number of Indians abroad are living in the United Arab Emirates, where the 34,20,000 Indians comprise about one-fourth of all Indians abroad.
• The UAE is followed by Saudi Arabia (25,94,947), the US (12,80,000), Kuwait (10,29,861), Oman (7,79,351), Qatar (7,56,062), Nepal (5,00,000), UK (3,51,000), Singapore (3,50,000) and Bahrain (3,23,292).

UNHCR Comments  launches ‘2 Billion Kilometers to Safety’ campaign:

• The UN Refugee Agency UNHCR has announced a new global campaign urging people worldwide to cover the total distance travelled by refugees each year – 2 billion kilometers – by running, jogging or walking.
• The “2 Billion Kilometers to Safety” campaign vies to encourage people to support refugees by championing individual acts of solidarity.
• The goal is to acknowledge the resilience and strength of refugees👀. 

Five-day working week for Maha govt employees:

Maharashtra government has announced five-day working week for its officers and employees from February 29. 

• Employees will now work 45 minutes more Monday to Friday to avail of the weekend off.
• The five-day week is followed by the central government, in Rajasthan, Bihar, Punjab, Delhi, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal👀.
• It will not apply to government offices covered under the Factories Act and the Industrial Disputes Act and to those that are considered essential services. 

Kerala imposes ₹13 price cap on bottled water:

Bottled drinking water has come under a price cap in Kerala, with the State making it an essential commodity and fixing a ceiling of ₹13 per litre👀

Including bottled water in the list of essential commodities enables price control.

Madhav National Park

Located in Madhya Pradesh.

It was named after Madho Rao Scindia, the Maharaja of Gwalior belonging to the Scindia dynasty of the Marathas.

It is a combination of dry deciduous & dry thorn forests.

It make home for different variety of antelopes like Nilgai, Chinkara, and Deer, and carnivours such as leopard, wolf, jackal, fox, wild pig, etc.

Urban bent-toed gecko:

• It is a new species of lizard discovered in Guwahati, Assam.
• Scientific name: Cyrtodactylus urbanus).
• Urbanization is a major threat to the survival of geckos.

Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary (WWS)

The Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary (WWS), though home to more than half the number of tigers present in Kerala, may not be notified as a tiger reserve as the proposal lacks public support.

About Wayanad wildlife sanctuary:

• Located in Kerala.
• It is the second largest wildlife sanctuary in Kerala.
• The ‘Status of Tigers in India’ report released last year had estimated the tiger population of Wayanad as between 75 and 80 individuals.
• The sanctuary is now an integral part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve.
• It is bounded by protected area network of Nagarhole and Bandipur of Karnataka in the northeast, and on the southeast by Mudumalai of Tamil Nadu.

Punjab Kinnow:

• The Punjab Agri Export Corporation recently launched the ‘Punjab Kinnow’👀brand at the kinnow festival in Abohar.
• This brand of kinnow, which is considered the ‘king fruit’ of Punjab, is also said to be “pesticide-free”👀. 
• Punjab being the largest producer of kinnow in the country, such branding will attract more consumers.

ERONET:

The Election Commission of India has been awarded ‘Silver’ for Excellence in Government Process re-engineering for digital transformation for the year 2019-20.

The award was given in recognition of ERONET.

Key facts:

1. ERONET is a common database for all States and UTs with data of 91 crore electors.
2. It provides bedrock of electoral roll in providing various web services to Conduct of Elections applications of Election Commission of India.
3. It automates the process of electoral roll management starting from elector registration, field verification of electors, decision support system for Electoral registration officers and for providing extensive integrated value-added services.

Ra’ad-II missile:

 Pakistan👀 conducted a successful flight test of the air launched nuclear-capable👀 cruise missile Ra’ad-II.

Key facts:

• It has a range of 600 km.
• The system is equipped with state-of-the-art guidance and navigation systems ensuring engagement of targets with high precision.
• Pakistan’s development of the Ra’ad could be seen as an attempt to match India’s BrahMos cruise missile.

Kala Kumbh:

• With an objective to promote Geographical Indication (GI) crafts and heritage of India, the Ministry of Textiles👀 is organizing Kala Kumbh – Handicrafts Thematic Exhibition in various parts of the country through the Office of Development Commissioner (Handicrafts).
• The exhibitions are sponsored by the Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts (EPCH). EPCH was established under Companies Act in the year 1986-87 and is a non-profit organisation, with an object to promote, support, protect, maintain and increase the export of handicrafts.

Institute for Defense Studies and Analyses:

• Institute for Defense Studies and Analyses has been renamed as Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defense Studies and Analyses.
• IDSA is an autonomous body under the Ministry of Defense.
• Dedicated to objective research and policy-relevant studies on all aspects of defense and security.

India to host AFC Women’s Asian Cup in 2022:

India will host the 2022 AFC Women’s Asian Cup.

This was announced by the Women’s Committee of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

 Background:

• The AFC Women’s Asian Cup is a quadrennial competition in women’s football for national teams which belong to the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).
• The competition also serves as a qualifying tournament for the FIFA Women’s World Cup.

Lockheed Martin helicopters:

 Cabinet Committee on Security clears procurement of 24 US multi-role helicopters👀 for Indian Navy.

• The 24 Lockheed Martin helicopters will be procured through the foreign military sales (FMS) route from the US government.
• The multi-role helicopters will be equipped with Hellfire missiles and torpedoes, and are meant to help the Indian Navy track submarines in the Indian Ocean, where China is expanding its presence.

Pakke tiger reserve:

Arunachal Pradesh State government is planning to build a 692.7 km highway👀 through the Pakke Tiger Reserve (PTR) in East Kameng district. Named the East-West Industrial Corridor, the highway aims to connect Bhairabhunda in West Kameng district and Manmao in Changlang district👀 along Arunachal Pradesh’s border with Assam.

Key facts:

• Pakke Tiger Reserve is also known as Pakhui Tiger Reserve.
• This Tiger Reserve has won India Biodiversity Award 2016👀 in the category of ‘Conservation of threatened species’ for its Hornbill Nest Adoption Programme.
• It is bounded by Bhareli or Kameng River🐟 in the west and north, and by Pakke River🐟🐟 in the east.
• Neighbours: Papum Reserve Forest in Arunachal Pradesh👀, Assam’s Nameri National Park,Doimara Reserve Forest and Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary👀.
• The main perennial streams in the area are the Nameri, Khari and Upper Dikorai. West of Kameng River is Sessa Orchid Sanctuary.

Olive Ridley turtles:

Preparations are almost done at the Rushikulya rookery👀 on the Odisha coast to welcome and protect olive ridley turtles 🧐during mass nesting.

Security: To provide security to mother turtles as well as the eggs from human and predator intervention, the forest department is erecting an over 5-km-long fence of metal net from Gokharkuda to Bateswar. This stretch is the most preferred location for mass nesting in the Rushikulya rookery.

Key facts:

• The Olive Ridleys are the second smallest and most abundant of all sea turtles found in the world.
• They inhabit warm waters of the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Oceans.
• It is well known for its arribadas or annual mass nestings👀.
• IUCN Status: Vulnerable👀
• Protection under CITES Appendix 1 and the Indian Wildlife Protection Act of 1972.
• Operation Kachhapa: Launched by the Wildlife Protection Society of India in collaboration with the Orissa State Forest Department and the Wildlife Society of Odisha and other local NGOs.

Rohtang pass:

Located on the eastern Pir Panjal Range of the Himalayas.

• It connects the Kullu Valley with the Lahaul and Spiti Valleys👀👀 of Himachal Pradesh.
• The pass lies on the watershed between the Chenab and Beas 🐟🐟basins. 

Surajkund International Crafts Mela:

What is it? It is unique as it showcases the richness and diversity of the handicrafts, handlooms and cultural fabric of India, & is the largest crafts fair in the world.

• This is 34th time the Surajkund Mela will be held at Faridabad.
• The Mela is organized by the Surajkund Mela Authority & Haryana Tourism in collaboration with Union Ministries of Tourism, Textiles, Culture and External Affairs.
• Theme state: For the 34th Surajkund International Crafts Mela-2020, the state of Himachal Pradesh ✔✨has been chosen to be the Theme State.
• The main motto behind this festival is to promote handicrafts, handlooms with the aid of craftsmen invited from all over the country. So basically this craft festival is a platform for artists across the globe to showcase their culture and talent.

 Malai Mahadeshwara Wildlife Sanctuary:

 The decks have been cleared to notify the Malai Mahadeshwara Wildlife Sanctuary✍ in Karnataka’s Chamarajanagar 👀district as a tiger reserve. The approval from the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) is expected any time now.

• The sanctuary presently has about 20 tigers.
• Once notified, Chamarajanagar district👀 will have the rare distinction in the country of having three tiger reserves👀. It already has Bandipur and Biligiri Ranganatha Temple (BRT) Tiger Reserve within its territorial limits.
• Also, with this, Karnataka will have six tiger reserves, the others being Nagarahole, Bhadra, and Anshi-Dandeli, apart from Bandipur and BRT Tiger Reserves👀.

Craspedotropis gretathunbergae:

It is a new species of land snail discovered recently.

It is named in honour of Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg👍👍

• The new species comes from tropical rainforests 👀and is sensitive to drought and extreme temperatures.
• The snails were found during a field course conducted by Taxon Expeditions at Kuala Belalong Field Studies Centre👀 inBrunei.
• Features: The two-millimetre-long snails have dark grey tentacles, a pale body and a concave shell, whose outer part is greenish-brown.

Places in News- Idlib:

The nine-year-old war in Syria is currently raging in the northwestern province of Idlib, with rapidly escalating tensions between government forces of President Bashar al-Assad and the Turkish military.

Where is it located?

Idlib is a city in northwestern Syria, 59 kilometers southwest of Aleppo👀, which is the capital of the Idlib Governorate.

SERB Women Excellence Award-2020:

• Dr Niti Kumar, Senior Scientist from Division of Molecular Parasitology and Immunology, CSIR-CDRI, Lucknow has received SERB Women Excellence Award-2020.
• This award is given to women scientist below 40 years👀 of age who have received recognition from national academies.
• The women researchers will be supported by research grant of 5 lakhs per annum for 3 years by Science and Engineering Research Board, Department of Science & Technology, Government of India (SERB-DST)👀

International Judicial Conference:

Held recently in New Delhi.

• The Conference discussed the changes being introduced by the Government of India to bring Gender Equality👀 in recruiting women in military services, selection process of fighter pilots.
• It also discussed on freedom of women to work in mines at night.
• The Conference also focused on the need for technology to deliver rapid justice.

World’s largest cave fish discovered in Meghalaya:

• World’s largest species of cave fish has been discovered in Meghalaya’s Jaintia Hills.
• The cave fish is around one and a half feet in length and has no eyes and is white due to a lack of melanin pigmentation.

Yongle Blue Hole (YBH):

Carbon more than 8,000 years old lies deep inside a yawning sinkhole in the South China Sea.

About YBH:

• It is the deepest known marine cavern.
• Located in the Xisha Islands of the South China Sea (SCS)👀.
• It measures roughly 300 metres from top to bottom.
• Its waters are mostly isolated from the surrounding ocean and receive little fresh water from rainfall, making it a rare spot to study the chemistry of oxygen-deprived marine ecosystems.

What is 2020 CD3, a mini-moon?

Astronomers have observed a small object orbiting Earth👀, which they have dubbed a 2020 CD3, “mini-moon” or the planet’s “second moon”👀.
Key features:
• It is actually an asteroid👀, about the size of a car; its diameter is about 1.9-3.5 m. It is called a Temporarily Captured Object (TCO)👀.
• And unlike our permanent Moon, the mini-moon is temporary; it will eventually break free of Earth’s orbit and go off on its own way.

What is Henneguya salminicola?

It is a non-oxygen breathing animal discovered👀 recently.
It is a fewer-than-10-celled microscopic parasite that lives in salmon muscle.
It relies on anaerobic respiration (through which cells extract energy without using oxygen).
It does not have a mitochondrial genome. Mitochondria is the “powerhouse” of the cell, which captures oxygen to make energy.

Pigmentary disorder

What is pigmentary disorders? Their effects?
Physiological pigmentation is a critical defense mechanism by which skin is protected against harmful UV radiations. Inefficient pigmentation predisposes to skin cancers, which are one of the leading causes of cancer-associated deaths worldwide.
Further, pigmentary disorders (both hypo and hyper pigmentary) are considered a social stigma and therefore they impart long-term psychological trauma and tremendously hamper mental well-being of patients.

National School of Drama:

Set up by the Sangeet Natak Akademi as one of its constituent units in 1959.

In 1975, it became an independent entity and was registered as an autonomous organization under the Societies Registration Act XXI of 1860, fully financed by the Ministry of Culture, Government of India. 

Bharat Rang Mahotsav👀, or the ‘National Theatre Festival’, established in 1999, is the annual theatre festival of National School of Drama (NSD), held in New Delhi👀, today it is acknowledged as the largest theatre festival of Asia, dedicated solely to theatre.

 ICGS Varad:

 The Indian Coast Guard’s Offshore Patrol Vessel, ICGS Varad has been commissioned into service.

Key facts:

• ICGS Varadis the fifth in the series of seven offshore patrol vessels, being constructed by Larsen and Toubro👀 as a part of their 2015 contract with the Union Ministry of Defence👀.
• The vessel is the first major defence ship to clear all the sea trials in one single sea sortie, creating a record of sorts in the Indian shipbuilding industry.
• The ICGS Varadwill be deployed at Paradip in Odisha👀 under the operational control of the North-Eastern Region’s Coast Guard.
• ICGS Varad will be deployed for the surveillance of India’s Exclusive Economic Zone.

                               Thank you for your kind attention

                     Good Luck & Strongly believe in your dreams✌