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Prelim Bits 09-03-2018

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March 09, 2018

CoMaD at Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute

  • Marine Biological Association of India (MBAI) is to organize a national conference to draw an action plan to control marine debris (CoMaD – Conference on Marine Debris) at the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute.
  • There are 5.25 trillion pieces of plastic debris in the ocean, of which 269,000 tones float on the surface.
  • Further, four billion plastic microfibers per sq km litter the deep sea.
  • In India, micro and macro plastics have been observed at all tropic levels from sardines to tunas and sea birds.
  • The Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute was established by Government of India on 1947 under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.
  • Later it joined the ICAR family in 1967.
  • Kochi is the head quarter of the Institute.

Chindu Bhagavatham

  • Chindu Bhagavatham is an art form dating back to second century BC.
  • It is popular in the Nizamabad district,Telegana.
  • Chindu is derived from the artistes’ caste - Chindu Madiga - a sub-caste of Madiga among the Scheduled Caste community.
  • The Chindu Bhagavatam is also called Chindu Yakshaganam, as it is similar to Yakshaganam of Karnataka.

  • The Chindu artistes lead a nomadic life.
  • They camp in a particular place for about eight months where they stage plays and during rainy days they work as agriculture laborers.

e- Jagrata

  • e-jagrata is a novel initiative to ensure safe, secured and effective Internet usage by schoolchildren.
  • It was launched by the district administration of Ernakulum.
  • The project is being implemented with the support of Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) and State Bank of India (SBI).
  • Students of standards eight and nine from government schools and  aided schools will be trained under the program.
  • The current training phase will cover cloud computing, android development, ethical hacking, robotics, and Internet payment among other topics.
  • The previous phases focused on basic IT and safe and responsible usage of Internet.

Ranganthittu Bird Sanctuary

  • The Forest Department and Mysore Bird Watchers’ group will soon conduct the first bird census at Ranganathittu Bird sanctuary.
  •  Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary is situated in Srirangapatna of Mandya district, Karnataka.
  • Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary located on the islands of river Cauvery.
  • It is an example of riverine ecosystem.

  • The flying fox, bonnet macaque, common otter, common mongoose, palm civet, marsh crocodile are found here.
  • Rich avifauna includes the large cormorand, darter, spoonbill, open-billed stork, painted stork, egret, heron, and the lesser whistling teal.
  • It is an Important Bird Area (IBA) that is identified by Birdlife International and Bombay Natural History Society.

SUVIDHA

  • Government is set to launch ‘SUVIDHA’, under the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP).
  • SUVIDHA is a 100% Oxo-biodegradable Sanitary Napkin at a cost of Rs.2.50.
  • Oxo-biodegradable product is made by blending a pro-degrading   additive into it that causes breakdown by oxidation when exposed to heat or sunlight.
  • The material will eventually be in a state where it can be digested by microorganisms.
  • A similar special additive is added in the Suvidha napkin, which makes it biodegradable when it reacts with oxygen after it is used and discarded.
  • It will be available at the Janaushadhi Kendaras.
  • It would ensure ‘Swachhta, Swasthya and Suvidha’ for the underprivileged women of India.
  • This affordable sanitary pad will promote hygiene, ease of disposal as well as keep the environment clean.
  • According to the National Family Health Survey 2015-16, about 58% of women aged between 15 to 24 years use locally prepared napkins, sanitary napkins and tampons.
  • Click here to know about PMBJP

IIDEM

  • The India International Institute for Democracy and Election Management (IIIDEM) is conducting a training program on ‘Capacity Development for Election Management’.
  • It is conducted under the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) program of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
  • IIDEM is an advanced resource centre of learning, research, training and extension for participatory democracy and election management.
  • The Institute is being developed in collaboration with the Government of India, United Nations, the Commonwealth and inter-governmental organizations like International Institute of Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA).
  • IIDEM has four components which are
  1. Training and Capacity Development,
  2. Voter Education and Civic Participation,
  3. Research, Innovation and Documentation
  4. International Projects and Technical Collaboration
  • IIDEM will work for promoting democratic values and practices, enhancing voter education and awareness and developing efficient human resources.

Map of the Day

South America

  • Bolivia and Paraguay are the only landlocked countries.
  • Galapagos is a part of Ecuador and is an archipelago of volcanic islands distributed on either side of the Equator.
  • Chiloe Island is a part of Chile is a southern extension of the Chilean coastal mountain range.
  • Easter Island is also a Chilean island and is of volcanic origin.
  • Falkland Island is a part of a British overseas territory and lies on the on the Patagonian Shelf (continental shelf).

 

Source: PIB, The Hindu, Businessline

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