Contents
Ashoka stupa restored in China
- A 2,000-year-old lost stupa.
- The stupa is one of 19 built with Lord Buddha’s relics.
- It was sent by Emperor Ashoka to China.
- The stupa is a symbol of the advent of Buddhism from India to China.
West Bengal to get India’s first dolphin reserve
- India’s first community reserve to protect the endangered Gangetic river dolphins
- It would be set up in the Hooghly river.
Ganges River dolphin
- Ganges River dolphin is a fresh water dolphin.
- Also called as
- Susu – because of the sound it makes,
- Blind Dolphin – its eye lacks a lens – it uses its eye to locate itself.
- It inhabits the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna and Karnaphuli-Sangu river systems of Nepal, India, and Bangladesh.
- Once found in thousands, there are fewer than 2,000 Gangetic dolphins left in the country – entire distribution range along the Ganga and Brahamaputra river system.
- It was declared as the National Aquatic Animal in 2010.
- The dolphin has the peculiarity of swimming on one side so that its flipper trails the muddy bottom. This behaviour is understood to help it to find food.
- Being a mammal, the Ganges River dolphin cannot breathe in the water and must surface every 30-120 seconds.
Threats
- Water pollution.
- Siltation of rivers.
- Habitat Fragmentation: creation of dams and irrigation projects.
- Entanglement in fisheries nets.
Indo-US NISAR (NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar)
- Earth observation satellite.
- Slated to be launched in 2020-21.
- Present satellites take 23 to 25 days to re-visit a particular spot.
- NISAR would provide the repeat information in just two to five days
- Among the objectives of NISAR are estimation of
- soil moisture, agriculture lands, cropped areas etc. (Helps Agriculture sector)
- ecosystem disturbances, forest biomass and estimation of glaciers, pollution levels (Helps to undertand Climate change and it’s impact)
- natural hazards such as earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanoes and landslides (Helps in disaster management)
- depletion of water and natural resources. (Helps in Resource namagement)
-
NISAR
- Joint project between NASA and ISRO.
- It is a radar imaging satellite. (it sends a signal and captures back reflected signal. This reflected signal is used to create images, analyse the conditions on earth etc.).
- Planned to be used for remote sensing. (the scanning of the earth by satellite or high-flying aircraft in order to obtain information about it; remote sensing: there will be no physical contact between the observation device and the earth).
BRICS to establish liberal visa regime among member countries
- The BRICS nation will soon allow free movement of “skilled professionals” among member countries by setting up a liberalised visa regime.
- This will help improve ties with China.
- During Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to China, Chinese tourists were extended the facility of electronic visa on arrival.
Recent developments in India-Pak relations
- Pakistan is constantly targeting India over ‘Kashmir issue’ in the UN.
Pak’s rhetoric and propaganda
- Kashmir is under foreign occupation of India.
- Human rights violations by India in Jammu and Kashmir.
- India is supporting and sponsoring Terrorism in Pakistan.
Pak is using Kashmir to divert it’s people from internal problems
- Pakistan already faces a host of problems, including
- violence in the regions of Sindh, Balochistan, Southern Punjab and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK);
- increasing sectarian violence; rise of religious extremism;
- political corruption, administrative chaos, political chaos etc.
Pak, a banana republic
- The Army is the real arbiter of Pakistan’s destiny.
- The Pakistani ‘Deep State’ comprises the Army, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and the nuclear establishment, who call all the shots.
- Most influential in Pakistan is the Chief of the Army Staff, who far eclipses the Prime Minister in power and influence.
Very meaningful quote
- “All modern states have an army. However, Pakistan’s Army has a state”
Pakistan’s over reliance on foreign powers
- Pakistan claims to have a ‘lips and teeth relationship’ with Beijing.
- Pakistan is banking on China’s assurances of military equipment and aid from USA.
- China and USA are the reason behind induced confidence in Pakistan when it comes to its ability to take on India.
Present threats to India
- Heading the Pakistan Army today is a highly ambitious and warmonger individual — Army Chief General Raheel Sharif.
- Hafiz Muhammad Saeed’s battle cry for “capturing Kashmir” is gaining wider resonance in Pak.
- The Pak’s terrorist infrastructure is simultaneously expanding at an alarming rate.
0 comments:
Post a Comment