News in Shorts: 22 July 2024

Phlogacanthus Sudhansusekharii

• Researchers from the Botanical Survey of India (BSI) have identified a new plant species named Phlogacanthus sudhansusekharii in  Arunachal Pradesh.

Phlogacanthus Sudhansusekharii

• About: It is a newly discovered plant species that belongs to the Acanthaceae family and the Phlogacanthus genus. 
• Naming: The species is named Phlogacanthus sudhansusekharii in honor of Dr. Sudhansu Sekhar Dash, a scientist at the BSI, recognizing his substantial contributions to plant and ecological research in the Indian Himalayan region. 
• Genus: The Phlogacanthus genus, to which this species belongs, includes 13 species in India and is primarily found in the northeastern and eastern Himalayan states.
• Features: The newly identified species is closely related to Phlogacanthus guttatus (Wall) Nees but differs in several morphological features, including variations in the shape and size of the calyx, staminodes, and a notably distinct corona color.

Voicebox Programme

• Recently, the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) has partnered with Netflix India to introduce an upskilling program for voice-over artists in India, named “The Voicebox.”

Voicebox Programme:

• About: It will provide Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) training for voice-over artists, focusing on languages including English, Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, and Gujarati.
• Eligibility: The program is open to professionals, ideally women, with over two years of experience in the media and entertainment sector who are keen to advance their voice-over skills.
• Funding: Sponsored by the Netflix Fund for Creative Equity, which allocates $100 million annually over five years, this initiative aims to support underrepresented communities in achieving success in the TV and film industries through various global programs.
• Assessment: As part of the program, structured workshops will be held in seven major cities across India—New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Chennai, and Kochi. 
  • These workshops will include training sessions with guest lectures and mentoring, followed by an assessment.
• Partner: Pearl Academy, India’s premier design institute, will join as a Training Partner for this program. 
• Project opportunity: Seven top participants from each batch will be selected to contribute to Netflix’s special project, “Azaadi ki Amrit Kahaniya,” by lending their voices to narrate stories about the Indian independence movement.

Dyson Sphere

• Recently, astronomers have advanced in identifying potential candidates for Dyson Spheres, igniting new excitement and debate about extraterrestrial life.

 Dyson Spheres:

• About: A Dyson Sphere is a theoretical megastructure proposed by physicist Freeman Dyson in 1960. It is envisioned as a vast, spherical structure built around a star to capture its energy output. 
  • Although commonly depicted as a solid shell surrounding the star, numerous designs and configurations have been theorized over time.
• Harnessing Stellar Energy: The main goal of a Dyson Sphere is to capture and use the energy emitted by a star. 
  • This energy can serve various purposes, such as powering advanced civilizations, facilitating interstellar travel, or terraforming planets.
• Potential for Sustainable Growth: Dyson Spheres provide the potential for virtually limitless energy, making them appealing to civilizations aiming for long-term sustainability and growth.

Types of Dyson Spheres

• Dyson Swarm: Instead of a solid shell, a Dyson Swarm consists of numerous independently orbiting structures, such as satellites or solar collectors, surrounding the star. These structures work together to capture the star’s energy.
• Dyson Shell: This classic concept involves a solid shell fully enclosing the star. Although theoretically feasible, creating such a colossal structure presents significant engineering challenges.
• Dyson Bubble: A speculative variant where a partially constructed sphere encircles the star, capturing only a portion of its energy output.

Prime Minister SVANidhi scheme

• Madhya Pradesh has secured the first place under the ‘Best Performing State’ category in the Prime Minister SVANidhi scheme.

PM Street Vendor’s AtmaNirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi) Scheme:

• Launching: It was launched by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs on June 1, 2020.
• Purpose: To offer affordable Working Capital loans to street vendors whose livelihoods have been impacted by the Covid-19 lockdown.
  • This micro-credit facility provides street vendors with a collateral-free loan of Rs 10,000 at low interest rates (below 12%) for one year, helping them recover financially and resume their businesses.
• Duration: The scheme was originally set to run until March 2022 but has been extended to December 2024. 
  • The extension aims to expand the collateral-free loan corpus, promote increased adoption of digital transactions, and support the holistic socio-economic development of street vendors and their families.
• Eligibility: Vendors who have been operating since or before March 24, 2020, and possess a certificate of vending are eligible for the loan. 
• Issuance: According to the Street Vendors Act 2014, the Town Vending Committees—composed of local authorities and vendors from the area—issue this certificate after conducting a survey of all vendors.

Mashco Piro Tribes

• Recently, rare photographs of the Mashco Piro, an uncontacted Indigenous tribe living in the remote Peruvian Amazon, have been published.

Mashco Piro Tribe

• Location: These nomadic hunter-gatherers inhabit the Amazon jungles of the Madre de Dios region, near Peru’s border with Brazil and Bolivia. 
• Background: It is believed they retreated deeper into the jungle during the Amazon Rubber Boom of the late 1800s, a period marked by enslavement and death for many tribes.
• Language: The Mashco-Piro tribe speaks a dialect of the Piro language.
• Way of Life: Tribe members wear minimal clothing, typically just a yellowish-brown cloth above the waist, along with possibly arm and leg bands in the same color. They have a medium stature and athletic build, with straight black hair worn shoulder-length or longer.

Bhil tribe

• Recently, the tribal community in Rajasthan has called for the creation of a new state named ‘Bhil Pradesh.’

Bhil Tribe:

• Ethnicity: The Bhils are a tribal group outside the traditional Hindu caste system. They speak Bhil languages, which are part of the Western Zone of the Indo-Aryan language family.
• Geographical Distribution: The Bhil community lives in various states, including Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Bengal, and Tripura. They primarily reside in forested and hilly areas, reflecting their deep connection to the environment.
• Societal Structure: Traditionally, each Bhil village is governed by a headman (gameti) who handles local disputes and issues.
• Religious Practices: Religious practices among the Bhils vary by region. Most worship local deities such as Khandoba, Kanhoba, Bahiroba, and Sitalmata, while some revere the Tiger God known as ‘Vaghdev.’ 
  • They also consult Badvas, hereditary sorcerers, for various occasions.
• Main Festivals: The Baneshwar Fair is the primary festival celebrated by the Bhils. Held during Shivratri, it is dedicated to Baneshwar Mahadev, also known as Lord Shiva.

Bagmati River

Bagmati River:

• About: It is one of the major cross-border rivers that flow through Bihar’s plains carrying a large amount of water from the upper reaches of the Himalayas in Nepal.
• Origin: The Bagmati River originates in the Shivapuri mountains to the north of Kathmandu Valley. 
  • It flows southwest, cutting through the valley at Chovar and dissecting the Mahabharata range at Katuwal Daha before flowing into the Kosi in Bihar.
• River Course: The Bagmati River flows from Nepal through the Bihar districts of Darbhanga, Sitamarhi, Sheohar, Muzaffarpur, and Khagaria, meeting the River Kamala in Samastipur.
• Earliest Reference: The river has been mentioned in Vinaya Pitaka and Nandabagga. 
• Change of river course: In the past, the river had a different course, draining directly into the Ganga, but it’s the new course that has created the flooding issue. 
  • The worst flood it caused occurred in 1994, but the problem has continued to recur, leaving the State government anxious for some way to resolve the issue.
• Religious Significance: 
  • The Pashupatinath Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site north of Kathmandu, is a major Hindu holy site. 
  • The Gokarneswara Temple, located to the north of the Kathmandu Valley, is also an important Hindu shrine.