TAMIL YEOMAN- STATE BUTTERFLY



Context: Tamil Nadu (TN) now officially has a State Butterfly- the ‘Tamil yeoman’ or ‘TamizhMaravan’

About ‘Tamil Yeoman’:

• Cirrochroathais, the Tamil yeoman, is a species of nymphalid butterfly found in forested areas of Tropical Sri Lanka And India.
• It is the state butterfly of Tamil Nadu.
• The species is endemic to Western Ghats

Other Facts related to TN:

• State Tree: Palm
• State Bird: Emerald Dove
• State Animal: Nilgiri Tahr
• State Flower: Gloriosa

NORTHERN WHITE RHINOCEROS IN OL PEJETA

Context: Technology Lab Focused on wildlife Protection Opens on Ol Pejeta Conservancy

• The World’s First Technology Hub that will provide the space, resources, and networks to explore innovative technology solutions to conservation problems has been launched in Kenya’s Ol Pejeta Conservancy.

Northern White Rhinoceros:

• It is one of two subspecies of the white rhinoceros (the other being the southern white rhinoceros).
• Formerly found in several countries in East and Central Africa south of the Sahara, this subspecies is a grazer in grasslands and savanna woodlands.
• According to the latest International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) assessment from 2011, the subspecies is considered “Critically Endangered (Possibly Extinct in the Wild).

INTERNATIONAL WHALING COMMISSION (IWC)

Context: Recently Japan announced its withdrawal from International Whaling Commission (IWC) to resume commercial Whale hunting

About IWC:

• It is an international body set up by the terms of the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling (ICRW)in 1946.
• The purpose is to provide for the proper conservation of whale stocks and thus make possible the orderly development of the whaling industry.
• Currently a complete ban is applied on commercial whaling, while whaling under the scientific research and aboriginal subsistence provisions are allowed.

KAZIRANGA NATIONAL PARK

Context: Rhino Protection Force deployed in Kaziranga National Park (NP).

• An 82-member special protection force trained to combat poachers and understand animal behaviour was deployed in the Kaziranga National Park
• The SRPF is basically a tiger protection force named after the rhino since the threat of poaching is more for the one-horned herbivore

About Kaziranga NP:

• It is a National Park in the Golaghat and Nagaon districts of the state of Assam, India.
• The sanctuary, which hosts Two-Thirds of the world’s Great One-Horned
• Rhinoceroses, is a World Heritage Site.
• Kaziranga is home to the Highest Density of Tigers among protected areas in the world, and was declared a Tiger Reserve in 2006.
• The park is home to large breeding populations of elephants, wild water buffalo, and swamp deer.
• Kaziranga is recognized as an Important Bird Area by Bird Life International for conservation of avifaunal species.

ONE-HORNED RHINOCEROS

• The Indian Rhinoceros (Rhinoceros Unicornis), also called the Greater One- Horned Rhinoceros and Great Indian Rhinoceros, is a rhinoceros native to the Indian subcontinent.
• Its preferred Habitat is Alluvial Flood Plains and areas containing Tall Grasslands along the Foothills of the Himalayas.
• It is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List.
• The Indian rhinoceros once ranged throughout the entire stretch of the Indo-Gangetic Plain, but excessive hunting and agricultural development reduced their range drastically to 11 sites in Northern India and Southern Nepal.

#RedDot CAMPAIGN

Context: IIT Delhi Incubated Sanfe Launches # Red Dot Campaign ‘To Spark Conversations Around Period Pain’.

• The campaign intends to generate widespread awareness around the discomfort caused by a period pain in the life of women and how it restricts them from reaching new heights in various walks of life.
• It invites women to post a photo on social media with a RED DOT on their hand and tag two friends or family members to do the same.
• Sanfe has partnered with the NGO Pinkishe and The Better India, to make period pain talks a mass movement.
• One can join the campaign by logging in at periodpain.in.

KAILASH MANSAROVAR YATRA

About:

• Organized by: Kailash Mansarovar Yatra 2019 is being organized by Ministry of External Affairs with the support of the state governments of Uttarakhand, Delhi, and Sikkim; and the cooperation of Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP).
• Routes: Kailash Mansarovar Yatra 2019 is scheduled from 8th June to 8th September this year through two routes.
• Through Lipulekh Pass, Uttarakhand.
• Through Nathu La Pass, Sikkim.
• Funding: Ministry of External Affairs does not provide any subsidy or financial assistance to Yatris.
• Eligibility: An Indian citizen, holding a valid Indian passport, aged minimum 18 years and maximum 70 years as on 1st January of the year, is eligible to apply for the Yatra.
• Those who hold foreign nationalities are not eligible. OCI card holders are, therefore, ineligible.
• Religious significance: Kailash Mansarovar Yatra (KMY) is known for its religious value and cultural significance. Being significant to Hindus as the abode of Lord Shiva, it holds religious importance also for the Jains and the Buddhists.

BYPL, A POWER DISTRIBUTION COMPANY, LAUNCHED ENERGY SAVING APP ‘SUSTHOME’

Context:  Power discom BYPL partnered with several private bodies to launch a number of initiatives including a ‘Behavioral Energy Saving App’.

About SUSTHOME:

• It is developed by BYPL and TERI.
• It will track consumers energy consumption patterns, analyze and compare it with that of similar homes in the vicinity and show energy saving potential,
• It holds the Enlisted Consumers in reducing their energy consumption, carbon footprint and electricity bills.
• At the first phase of the project selected cooperative housing societies in Mayur Vihar will use this app.
• This initiative with the potential to save around 72 MUs,It covers Rs 29 crore annually.

NASA ANNOUNCED A NEW MISSION TO EXPLORE SATURN’S LARGEST MOON

• Context: NASA announced a New Mission to explore this fascinating world with a helicopter drone.
• The mission, called Dragonfly is the latest in NASA’s New frontier program.
• NASA has earlier launched explorations of Pluto, Jupiter, the asteroid Bennu, and now, Titan.

About TITAN:

• Titan, the largest moon of Saturn, has a lot in common with Earth.
• It has a thick, Nitrogen-Dense Atmosphere and features like rivers, lakes, mountains, and, potentially volcanoes.
• The Atmosphere of Titan is four times as dense as the Earth’s and there’s less gravity which makes it a prime location in the solar system to deploy a drone.

About Dragonfly:

• Dragonfly is planned to launch in 2026 and arrive at Titan in 2034. With its eight rotors, Dragonfly will be able to fly tens of miles in a given day. It is powered by a Plutonium Battery.
• Two-year mission, Dragonfly will travel hundreds of miles across the surface. sampling the Chemistry of the Moon and studying its geology and atmosphere. It will also look out for signs of life.
• The study on Titan’s Methane Cycle is interesting as Methane (The Primary Ingredient in Natural Gas) actually forms clouds and rains down on the surface of Titan, a lot like how water rains on Earth.
• By studying the weather pattern on Titan, a better picture about the greater reaches of the cosmos, and help scientists understand what makes a planet or moon habitable or not.

STATISTICS DAY: 29 JUNE

• Statistics Day is being celebrated on 29 June every year.
• It is observed to popularize the use of Statistics in everyday life and sensitize the public as to how Statistics helps in shaping and framing policies.
• The theme of 2019 Statistics Day is Sustainable Development Goals.
• The day is celebrated on the birth anniversary of Prof. P C Mahalanobis.

ZARDALU MANGOES- RED-BANDED MANGO CATERPILLAR

Context:

Threat for Bhagalpur’s mango growers: Red banded mango caterpillar

• This is the second consecutive year that the pest has affected the mango crop in Bhagalpur and surrounding areas, known for its famous Zardalu brand

About Zardalu Mango:

• Zardalu is a Unique Mango Variety from Bhagalpur.
• It is known for its light-Yellow Skin and Distinct Special Aroma.
• Three agri products from Bihar – Jardalu Mango, Katarani Paddy and Magahi Betel Leaf – have got the Geographical Indications (GI) tag.

About Red Banded Mango Caterpillar:

• Deanolis sublimbalis, the red banded mango caterpillar, is a species of moth of the Crambidae family.
• It is found in India (Sikkim, Darjeeling) and Indonesia (Sulawesi), Papua New Guinea, Burma, Thailand, China, Brunei and the Philippines.
• The larvae are a Serious Pest of Mango fruit.
• They hatch and burrow into the distal end of the Mango Fruit.