The ‘Bharat Parv’ is an event organized annually at Red Fort, Delhi from 26th to 31st January to commemorate Republic day
The prime objective of organizing the event is to generate a patriotic mood, promote the rich cultural diversity of the country and to ensure wider participation of the general public.
The Ministry of Tourism has been designated as the nodal ministry for this event.
PMKSY
Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana is the scheme under ministry of agriculture and farmers welfare.
The major objective of the scheme is to achieve convergence of investments in irrigation, expand cultivable area under assured irrigation, and improve on-farm water use efficiency to reduce wastage of water.
PMKSY has been conceived amalgamating ongoing schemes viz.
Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme (AIBP) of the Ministry of Water Resources, River Development &Ganga Rejuvenation (MoWR,RD&GR).
Integrated Watershed Management Programme (IWMP) of Department of Land Resources (DoLR).
On Farm Water Management (OFWM) of Department of Agriculture and Cooperation (DAC).
Funaria hygrometrica
Scientists have identified a type of moss that can efficiently absorb a large amount of lead, providing a green alternative for decontaminating polluted water and soil.
Funaria hygrometrica is the moss whichuses phytoremediation,it is known to grow well in sites contaminated with metals like copper, zinc, and lead.
Phytoremediation is a method that uses photosynthesising organisms to clean up soil or water contamination.
The Moss cells can absorbed lead up to 74 per cent of their dry weight.
Online auction for Scraps
Indian Railways have been selling its internally generated scrap entirely through online e-auction.
Majority of the scrap material comprises of worn-out rails and track fittings released from track renewal/gauge conversion, steel scrap generated in course of overhaul /repairs of rolling stocks, other non-ferrous and miscellaneous scrap.
The e-auction module is part of the IREPS (Indian Railways E-Procurement System) which is a single portal of Indian Railways handling all procurements tenders and e-auctions digitally.
INSPIRE
Innovation in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research (INSPIRE) issponsored and managed by Ministry of Science & Technology.
The basic objective of INSPIRE is to attract young talents to the study of science and build the required critical human resource pool for strengthening R & D base.
The programme does not conduct any competitive exams for identification of talent at any level.
It relies on the existing educational structure for identification of talent.
The programme has three components:
Scheme for Early Attraction of Talent- (SEATS)
Scholarship for Higher Education- (SHE)
Assured Opportunity for Research Careers - (AORC)
Urban heat islands
Rapid urbanisation combined with changes in land use pattern leads warming of urban spaces compared with surrounding non-urban areas this is called the urban heat island effect.
Urban migration, concrete jungles, decrease in dense vegetation and cultivable land area, encroachments in water bodies will influence urban heat islands.
For instance, Delhi is 4-12°C warmer due to the urban heat island effect.
