Animal Welfare Board of India Honours Champions of Animal Protection

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The Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) has announced its Prani Mitra and Jeev Daya Awards for animal welfare and protection. 

About “Prani Mitra” and “Jeev Daya Awards”

The Prani Mitra Awards were conferred to the following individuals/organizations in the following 5 sub-categories: - 

• Advocacy - Shri Akhil Jain, Raipur, Chhattisgarh.
• Innovative Idea – Shri Ramesh Bhai Veljibhai Ruparelia, Gondal, Gujarat.
• Lifetime Animal Service – Shri Harnarayan Soni, Osiyan, Jodhpur, Rajasthan.
• Animal Welfare Organisation (AWO) – Sri Sri 1008 Sriram Ratandasji Vaishanav Go Sewa Samiti, Karahdham, Morena, Madhya Pradesh.
• Corporate / PSUs / Government bodies / Co-operatives – Radhe Krishna Temple Elephant Welfare Trust, Jamnagar, Gujarat.

Jeev Daya Awards were granted to the following individuals/organizations in the following 3 sub-categories: - 

• Individual: Ms. Nisha Subramanian Kunju, Mumbai, Maharashtra
• Animal Welfare Organisation (AWO): Bhagwan Mahavir Pashu Raksha Kendra, Kutch, Gujarat
• Schools/ Institutions/ Teachers/ Children (below the age of 18 years): Master Chaitanya M Saxena, Jaipur, Rajasthan and Master Aadi Shah, Mumbai, Maharashtra.

The “Prani Mitra Award” was introduced in 1966 for Individuals for their outstanding and remarkable contribution in the field of Animal Welfare and Protection, which has now further been extended to the organizations. 

AWBI instituted the “Jeev Daya Award” in 2001 to recognize and appreciate the services rendered by animal lovers. 

Animal Welfare Board of India 

It is a statutory advisory body established in 1962 under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960. The Board consists of 28 Members. The term of office of Members is for a period of 3 years. 

The board was started under the stewardship of the Late Smt. Rukmini Devi Arundale. She was also the first chairperson of the board.

• Rukmini Devi Arundale played an instrumental role in the revival and reinvention of the Indian classical dance form of Bharatanatyam.
• She was the first woman nominated to Rajya Sabha in 1952.
• She also played an instrumental role in the enactment of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960 by the parliament. 

The AWBI comes under the Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC).

The board is headquartered in Ballabgarh, Haryana. 

World Animal Welfare Day, also known as World Animal Day or World Animal Protection Day, is celebrated annually on October 4.  

59^th death anniversary of Veer Savarkar

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The Prime Minister of India paid tribute to Veer Savarkar on his 59th death anniversary (26 February). 

About Veer Savarkar

• He was born on May 28, 1883, in Bhagur, near Nashik, Maharashtra, in a Chitpavan Brahmin family.
• He is famously known through various titles like ‘Swantraveer’, and ‘Ideologue of Hindutva’. 
• He established Mitra Mela (a revolutionary nationalist group) in 1899 along with his brother Ganesh Savarkar. It was later renamed as Abhinav Bharat Society in 1904. 
• He went to the United Kingdom and was associated with India House and the Free India Society.
• He was arrested on the grounds of sedition in 1910.
• He was lodged in the Cellular Jail in the Andamans, where he spent 12 years. 
• He was the president of the Hindu Mahasabha from 1937 to 1943. 
• In 1951, he dissolved “Abhinav Bharat” and devoted his time and energy to the ideals of the Hindu Mahasabha.
• He died on 26th February 1966 after choosing to fast to his death.

Savarkar’s Philosophy

• His political philosophy is a mixture of humanism, rationalism, universalism, positivism, utilitarianism, and realism.
• He was deeply inspired by Giuseppe Mazzini (an Italian revolutionary), even authored a biography titled "Mazzini Charitra" in 1907. 

Savarkar’s Work

• Mazzini Charitra (1906)
• 1857 Indian War of Independence (1907): In this, he stated that the Indian Mutiny of 1857 was the first expression of Indian mass rebellion against British colonial rule.
• Essentials of Hindutva (1923).

Herath Festival

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Recently, the Prime Minister of India greeted the Kashmiri Pandits on the occasion of the Herath festival.

About Herath Festival

• It is a three-week-long festival derived from the words "Hara" (Lord Shiva) and "Ratri" (night).
• The festival commences on the night of the 13th day of Phalgun (Hindu Calendar Month), marking the night of Lord Shiva’s wedding to Goddess Parvati and continues until the arrival of the new moon.
• Herath symbolises the intricate unity of divine forces, consciousness, and feminine energy that together contribute to the cycle of creation.
• Kashmiri Pandits worship Bhairav Vatuknath, and hence the worship is called Vatuk puja.
• On the festival, Kashmir pandit families perform the “Vatuk Pooja,” where a kalash filled with water and walnuts is placed in a sacred space.
• As per the Kashmir Shaivism philosophy, the highest state a being can achieve through his saddhna is that of a Bhairav. 

Prakriti 2025 - International Conference on Carbon Markets

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The Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), under the patronage of the Ministry of Power and the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, organized Prakriti 2025.

Prakriti 2025

• PRAKRITI 2025 (Promoting Resilience, Awareness, Knowledge, and Resources for Integrating Transformational Initiatives) is an International Conference on Carbon Markets.
• Prakriti 2025 is a carbon market event for learning, sharing knowledge, and exploring opportunities for collaboration in the global effort to combat climate change. 
• The conference provided an in-depth understanding of the functioning and processes of the Indian Carbon Market (ICM). 

Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE)

• BEE was established in 2002 under the provisions of the Energy Conservation Act, 2001.
• Its vision is to improve the Energy Intensity of the Indian Economy, thereby contributing towards the sustainable development of the country.
• It functions under the administrative control of the Ministry of Power.
• BEE is headquartered in New Delhi.

Nocturnal Ants Found Using Polarised Moonlight for Navigation

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Scientists at Macquarie University, Sydney, found that two species of nocturnal bull ants, Myrmecia pyriformis and Myrmecia midas, use polarised moonlight to navigate at night.

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This is only the second known animal that has been found to use polarised moonlight instead of sunlight for orientation. 

• The first animal found to use polarised moonlight was the dung beetle.

The study found that the nocturnal bull ants were able to detect and use polarised moonlight throughout the lunar cycle for foraging, even under a crescent moon when moonlight is 80% less intense.

The ants’ navigation accuracy depends on the moon’s phase and doesn't work when the moon is absent.

Moonlight Polarisation: 

When moonlight enters Earth’s atmosphere, it gets scattered by air molecules and dust, becoming polarised.

The level of polarisation varies with the moon’s phase:

• Full Moon: Low polarisation due to brighter light.
• Crescent Moon: Higher polarisation because the light is dimmer and scatters more effectively.

Blue-Cheeked Bee-Eater

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The first breeding site of the Blue-Cheeked Bee-eater (Merops persicus) in peninsular India has been found in the saltpans of Aandivilai, near the Manakudy Mangroves in the Kanniyakumari district (TN). 

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• The discovery of a new breeding ground in Tamil Nadu marks the southernmost breeding range of the avian species in the Indian subcontinent, shifting its status from a seasonal visitor to a year-round resident.
• The site falls within the designated Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) and No Development Zone, but it remains vulnerable to large-scale development projects.
• The Blue-Cheeked Bee-eater is a near-passerine bird in the Meropidae family. It was traditionally known as a passage migrant and winter visitor in India.
• This bird prefers sub-tropical semi-desert areas with scattered trees like acacias for breeding.
• It may nest alone or in small, loose colonies of up to ten birds and is also known to share colonies with European bee-eaters.
• The bird is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN Red List.

‘Naval Anti-Ship Missile’ Trials Successful

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Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) and Indian Navy have carried out successful flight trials of the first-of-its-kind Naval Anti-Ship missile short range (NASM-SR). 

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• The trials demonstrated the missile’s capability against ship targets while launched from the Indian Navy’s Seaking Helicopter.
• The indigenous missile primarily aims to replace another foreign origin anti-ship missile which has been in use by the Indian Navy for its Seaking helicopters. 
• The missile uses an indigenously developed Imaging Infra-Red Seeker for terminal guidance. 
• It uses an indigenous Fiber Optic Gyroscope-based INS and Radio Altimeter for its Mid-course guidance. 
• The mission also has demonstrated the high bandwidth two-way datalink system, which is used to transmit the seeker's live images back to the pilot for in-flight retargeting.
• It uses solid propulsion with an in-line ejectable booster and a long-burn sustainer. The trials have met all the mission objectives.
• When operational, the missile may be integrated with the Indian Navy’s new MH-60R helicopters acquired from the US Navy.