The Barbados Threadsnake

Context: The world’s smallest-known snake, the Barbados threadsnake, believed to be lost to science, has been rediscovered on the Caribbean island of Barbados.

About Barbados Threadsnake

• Scientific Name: Tetracheilostoma carlae
• Physical Traits:
• • Pale yellow dorsal lines along the body.
  • Eyes on the sides of its head.
  • Blind and burrows underground.
  • Feeds on termites and ants.
  • Reproduces by laying a single, slender egg.
• Extremely difficult to detect due to size and cryptic behavior.
• Only a handful of sightings since 1889; last seen around 2006.
• Often mistaken for Brahminy blind snakes or even earthworms.
• Unlike the Brahminy blind snake, it cannot reproduce asexually.

Ecological Importance

• Role: Serves a vital function in soil and insect population balance.
• Rediscovery highlights the importance of microhabitats and lesser-known species in biodiversity conservation.

Conservation Significance

• IUCN Status – Critically Endangered Species.
• Habitat Context: Only 2% of Barbados’ original forest cover remains, with the rest cleared for agriculture over the past 400 years.
  • Barbados has minimal original forest cover, second only to Haiti in the Caribbean.
• The species is vulnerable, as it lays just one egg per reproductive cycle.

Exercise DIVYA DRISHTI

Context: Indian Army conducted Exercise Divya Drishti in East Sikkim to assess battlefield readiness using AI-enabled systems, UAVs, and modern technologies.

About Exercise Divya Drishti

• The Indian Army conducted a high-altitude technology demonstration to validate AI-integrated surveillance, real-time decision-making, and sensor-to-shooter systems under realistic battlefield conditions.
• Conducted by: Trishakti Corps, headquartered in Sukna, near Siliguri.
• Combat Simulation: Troops deployed ground-based systems and aerial platforms including UAVs and drones to simulate realistic battlefield scenarios.

World Record 170-Hour Bharatanatyam Performance

Context: Remona Evette Pereira, a final-year student from Mangaluru, entered the Golden Book of World Records after performing Bharatanatyam for 170 continuous hours.

Key Highlights of the Record Performance

• Recognised as the first person globally to achieve this feat.
• Pereira was allowed a 15-minute break every three hours.
• Training and Background: Began learning Bharatanatyam at the age of three, Completed her rangapravesha (debut solo performance) in 2019.

About Bharatanatyam

• Origin: Originated in Tamil Nadu, Bharatanatyam is one of the oldest classical dance forms of India.
• The origin of this dance can be traced to the sage Bharata Muni’s Natyashastra.
• The Abhinaya Darpana by Nandikesvara is a key text on the technique and grammar of body movements in Bharatanatyam.
• Its modern repertoire was shaped in the early 19th century by the Tanjore Quartet (Ponnayya, Chinnayya, Sivananda, Vadivelu), under the patronage of Raja Serfoji. 
  • Hence, also called Tanjore Natyam.
• Nature of Performance:
  • Primarily a solo dance.
  • Follows the Ekaharya style, where one dancer portrays multiple characters.
  • It blends footwork, gestures (mudras), and facial expressions to convey stories, often from Hindu mythology.
• Key Features of Bharatanatyam:
  • Movements resemble a dancing flame, earning it the title “Fire Dance.”
  • Balances Tandava (vigour) and Lasya (grace) elements.
  • Emphasis on mudras for storytelling.
  • Characteristic posture: bent knees, weight evenly spread across both feet.

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