SHORT NEWS

July 25, 2023

Mihir Bhoj	Recently, the Gurjar community in Haryana had planned to unveil a statue of Mihir Bhoj, calling him a Gurjar Pratihar Samrat (king). Both Gurjars and Rajputs assert that Raja Mihir Bhoj is their ancestor, which has led to a conflict. Ruler and Dynasty: Mihir Bhoj was the ruler of the Gurjara Pratihara dynasty in the 9th century. Capital: Kannauj. Titles: Varaha and Prabhas, in honor of Vishnu. Empire: Extended from Multan to Bengal, and from Kashmir to northern Maharashtra. Gwalior Prashasti: Inscription detailing Mihir Bhoj’s achievements.
Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary	The Bombay High Court directed the Goa government to notify the Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary as a tiger reserve under the Wildlife Protection Act. Location: North Goa District, near Valpoi. It is home to Bengal Tigers and various bird species, earning it an International Bird Area status. Fauna: Nilgiri wood-pigeon and crimson-backed sunbird. Flora: sacred grooves, creepers, evergreen species of Ashoka and colourful flowers. River: Mhadei River originates in Karnataka and flows through the sanctuary before reaching the Arabian Sea. Herpetologists are attracted to the sanctuary for its variety of snakes, including the “big four” venomous ones. Big Four: Indian krait, Russell’s viper, Saw-scaled viper and Spectacled cobra
National Geoscience Awards	The National Geoscience Awards-2022 were presented by the President of India. Instituted by: The Ministry of Mines, Government of India Aim: To honor individuals and teams for extraordinary achievements and outstanding contributions in various fields of geosciences.
India Climate Energy Dashboard (ICED) 3.0.	NITI Aayog released the India Climate Energy Dashboard (ICED) 3.0. Aim: Provides Near Real-Time Data with in-built Analytics to track the Climate Action Progress. Significance: One-stop platform for real-time data on India’s energy sector and climate based on government sources. Enables insights and understanding, identifying key challenges, and monitoring clean energy transition.