Neelakurinji (Strobilanthes kunthiana)

About Neelakurinji Flower:

• Kurinji or Neelakurinji  is a shrub that grows in the shola forests of the Western Ghats in South India. They are semelparous in nature
• Named After: The plant is named after the famous Kunthi River which flows through Kerala’s Silent Valley National Park.
• IUCN Status: Vulnerable 
• Genus: The Kurinji plant belongs to the genus Strobilanthus, family Acanthaceae and was identified in the 19th century.
• Other Species:  
  • Strobilanthes Anamallaica
  • Strobilanthes Heyneanus
  • Strobilanthes Pulnyensis
  • Strobilanthes Neoasper
• Characteristics: Kurinji grows to a height of 30 to 60 cm and is found at an altitude of 1,300-2,400 metres.
• Pollinator: Honey bees act as pollinators of Neelakurinji. 
• Nilgiri Mountains: Kurinji used to once grow abundantly in the Nilgiri Hills (part of the Western Ghats) in Tamil Nadu. 
  • The blue color of Kurinji has given the hills the name “Nilgiri”, literally meaning “Blue Mountains”. 
• Found In:  In Kerala, the Anamalai Hills of Idukki district, the Agali Hills of Palakkad district and the Eravikulam National Park of Munnar (all in the Western Ghats)
  • In addition to the Western Ghats, Kurinji is also found in the Shevaroy Hills of the Eastern Ghats in Tamil Nadu as well as the Bellary district of Karnataka.
• Last Bloomed In : The year 2006 was when the Neelakurinji last bloomed in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, after a span of 12 years. 
  • The year was declared as the “Year of Kurinji” and a commemorative stamp was released in Kerala. 
• Cultural & Historical Significance: In the ancient Sangam literature of Tamilakam or Tamil Country, land was classified into five types. 
  • They are Kurinji (mountainous), Mullai (forested), Marutham (agricultural), Neithal (coastal) and Paalai (desert).
  • The mountainous landscape, referred to as Kurinji, abounded with Kurinji flowers. 
  • The Paliyar tribal community that lives in the montane rain forests of the South Western Ghats uses the flowering periodicity of this plant to calculate their age
• Main Threats: Major threats include habitat loss from tea and softwood plantations, urbanisation, invasive species, and climate change. 
  • Approximately 40% of its habitat has been lost.

Gurmar

About Gurmar:

• Scientific Name: Gymnema sylvestre
• It  is a tropical plant that is indigenous to India and grows in the tropical areas of Africa, Australia, and China.
• Properties:
• • Gymnema sylvestre is a medicinal plant. It is a slow-growing, perennial, woody climber. 
  • In the Ayurvedic system, it is referred to as “Meshasringa” or “Gurmar” and has indications for use in glucose balance. 
  • Gymnemic acid—an active component isolated from leaves of G. sylvestre—has antiobesity and antidiabetic properties; it causes decrease in body weight and inhibits glucose absorption 
  • Gymnema contains substances that decrease the absorption of sugar from the intestine. Gymnema may also increase the amount of insulin in the body and increase the growth of cells in the pancreas, which is the place in the body where insulin is made.

Monitor Lizard

About Monitor lizards:

• Lizards: Lizards are reptiles characterised by scaly skin, long bodies, four legs, and movable eyelids. Most lizards lay eggs, but some give birth to live young.
• Monitor lizards:  It can be found in forests, mangrove swamps, and even man-made canals
• Characteristics: 
  • They are mostly carnivorous; some also scavenge on carrion.
  • They can stand on their hind legs to scan their surroundings, sometimes taking this stance when faced with competition from another monitor for food or mate
  • They are also agile climbers, as their claws provide a secure grip.
• Distribution: India is home to four Monitor lizards 
  • Bengal Monitor (Varanus bengalensis)
  • Asian Water monitor (Varanus salvator)
  • Yellow monitor (Varanus flavescens) 
  • Desert monitor (Varanus griseus)
• Important Ecological Roles:
  • Control of prey population: Monitor lizards feed on a huge variety of food types (eg. insects, crabs, snakes, fish, etc); they control the population of their prey, and in turn are a source of food to larger predators (eg. crocodiles).
  • Keep habitat clean: They also play an important role as scavengers in biomass decomposition and recycling.
• About Bengal Monitor:
• • The scientific name of Bengal Monitor or Common Indian Monitor is Varanus bengalensis. 
  • The Bengal Monitor Lizard is a part of CITES Appendix I and Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. 
  • IUCN red list status: Near Threatened (NT).
  • The species is hunted for medicinal purposes and also for consumption.
  • Distribution:  Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Burma, India, Iran, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.

DRDO carries out Flight test of long-range glide bomb “Gaurav”

About Long-range glide bomb (LRGB) – Gaurav: 

• Gaurav’ is an air launched 1,000 kg class glide bomb capable of hitting targets at long distance
• GAURAV has been designed and developed indigenously by the Research Centre Imarat (RCI), Hyderabad.
• It is air-launched from a Su-30 MK-I fighter jet of the Indian Air Force.
• Location: Off the coast of Odisha.
• Participants: It was Monitored by DRDO scientists; Adani Defence and Bharat Forge also participated.
• Significance: It is a major milestone in the country’s effort in developing indigenous defence technologies for further strengthening the capability of the Armed Forces.
• Features: After being launched, the glide bomb steer towards the target using a highly accurate hybrid navigation scheme  that combines Inertial Navigation System (INS) with Global Positioning System (GPS) data for highly accurate targeting.

Lunisolar Calendar

Key Findings:

• Göbekli Tepe: often referred to as the world’s first temple, features a series of large stone pillars adorned with ornate carvings. 
  • These carvings have long puzzled researchers, but recent studies suggest they represent an ancient timekeeping system
• Counting of Days: The carvings on the pillars include a series of V-shaped symbols, each representing a single day. 
  • By counting these symbols, researchers identified a calendar of 365 days, divided into 12 lunar months with an additional 11 days. 
  • This system aligns closely with the modern solar calendar, indicating a sophisticated understanding of astronomy by the ancient people who created it.
• Depiction of the summer solstice: A V-shaped symbol worn around the neck of a bird-like figure is believed to represent this significant astronomical event. 
  • This suggests that the ancient inhabitants of Göbekli Tepe were keen observers of the sky, using their calendar to track the changing seasons and celestial events. 
  • The carvings also include representations of both the sun and the moon, indicating a combined solar and lunar calendar.
• Historical Significance: Göbekli Tepe’s calendar is not only remarkable for its age but also for its potential historical significance. 
  • Researchers believe that the calendar may have been created to commemorate a catastrophic comet strike that occurred around 10,850
• About Göbekli Tepe: It is a marvel of ancient engineering and artistry.
• • Built by hunter-gatherers between 9,600 and 8,200 BCE, it predates Stonehenge by more than 6,000 years. 
  • The large stone pillars, some of which weigh up to 20 tons, are arranged in circular enclosures and decorated with carvings of animals and abstract symbols. 
  • The exact purpose of Göbekli Tepe has long been debated, but many believe it was used for ritualistic or ceremonial

Kerala’s Jewish Communities

About Malabar Jews:

• They, also known as the Cochin Jews, trace their history to the days of King Solomon (hypothesised to be in the 10th century BCE, almost 3,000 years ago). 
  • Initially, they settled in Cranganore (present-day Kodungallur in Thrissur district), which the community itself referred to as Shingly.
•  economic and ceremonial privileges: The oldest documentary evidence of this community — a set of copper plates given to the local Jewish leader by the Cranganore’s Hindu ruler, from circa 1,000 CE — lists various economic and ceremonial privileges that the Jews enjoyed in the region
• Arrival Of Portuguese: From the 14th century onward, and especially following the arrival of the Portuguese in the 16th century, Malabar Jews moved further south from Cranganore to Cochin (now Kochi) where the local king rolled out the red carpet for them.

About Paradesi Jews:

• It means“foreign” Jews, who arrived in India in the 15th and 16th centuries from the Iberian Peninsula due to persecution by Catholic rulers. 
• They fled to India due to persecution by the Catholic rulers of Spain and Portugal, and settled on the Malabar coast alongside pre-settled Jewish communities, as well as in Madras
• Paradesi Jews adopted the Malayalam language and local customs, but eventually distanced themselves from the older Jewish community in Kerala, leading to the formation of two distinct groups.
• Western writers, refer to the Paradesis as “White Jews” and the Malabaris as “Black Jews”

Migration back to Israel

• Welcoming India: Unlike Jewish communities in Europe or West Asia, the ones in India seldom faced anti-Semitism or persecution. Many, like the Koders, rose to high positions as agents of foreign trade, and advisers to Dutch and Hindu rulers. 
• Migration: Since the 1950s, there has been a steady migration of Kerala Jews to Israel. 
  • According to estimates, there are well over 4,000 ‘Cochinim’ in Israel today.