Valley of Flowers

Context: The Valley of Flowers in Uttarakhand was opened for tourist arrivals on June 1.

About Valley of Flowers

• Named By: The valley is named by three British mountaineers led by Frank S Smythe believed to have accidentally discovered the valley in 1931.
• Location: The valley is spread over a 87 sqkm area located in the Chamoli district, Uttarakhand within the Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve.
  • It forms one of the two core zones of the Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve.
• Heritage Site: The Valley of Flowers is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• Habitat: The valley lies completely in the temperate alpine zone encompassing a unique transition zone between the mountain ranges of the Zanskar and Great Himalayas.
• River: The Valley of Flowers is nestled in the Pushpawati river valley
• Religious significance: The Valley is said to be under protection of Nanda Devi ( the patron goddess of Garhwal and Kumaon)
  • Nanda Devi is the second highest mountain in India (after Kangchenjunga)
• Tribe: The valley is populated by a local tribe called the Bhotiyas.
• Flower Species: The valley is a meadows of endemic alpine flowers with around 600 species such as orchids, poppies, primulas, marigold, daisies and anemones can be found here. 
  • The brahmakamal, offered to Nanda Devi is also abundantly found. 
• Fauna: Wildlife species like the gray langur, the flying squirrel, the Himalayan weasel, and black bear, the red fox, the lime butterfly, the snow leopard etc are found here.
• Tourism and Trekking: The valley usually stays open for four months i.e. June, July, August, and September.

Composite Backwardness Index of Telangana

Context: Telangana has introduced the Composite Backwardness Index (CBI), to scientifically quantify the backwardness of castes on a scale of ‘0 to 126’ points,  independent of their population size.

• Higher the score, the greater the level of backwardness.

About the Composite Backwardness Index

• Prepared By: The index is prepared by a 11-member Expert Working Group set up by the government to analyse and interpret data from Teleangana’s caste survey.
• Aim: The report aims to disentangle caste-based backwardness from general poverty.
• Data Source: The index has surveyed and ranked a total of 245 castes, compiling data from over 3.5 crore residents responding to 74 questions.
• Indicators: The index shortlisted 42 indicators across nine categories, including education, living conditions, land ownership, income, access to technology, and social discrimination.
• Analysis: A statistical significance test was performed across the responses and data analysed through quartile distribution.
  • Every caste was placed into one of four buckets based on their aggregate scores.
• Significance: 
  • It is a first-of-its-kind metric designed and used to objectively evaluate social and economic disparities.
  • Measurable Backwardness: The index is holistic in its focus on measuring the real backwardness of a caste.

Kheer Bhawani Mela

Context: Over 5000 of Kashmiri Pandits leave for Kheer Bhawani Mela in Kashmir.

About Kheer Bhawani Mela 

• It is an annual Hindu pilgrimage and festival dedicated to Goddess Ragnya Devi, revered particularly by Kashmiri Pandits. 
• It is celebrated on Zeisht Ashtami (the eighth day of the bright fortnight of the Hindu month of Jyeshtha – May/June).

Key Shrines Associated

• Tulmulla, Ganderbal (main shrine)
• Tikker, Kupwara
• Laktipora Aishmuqam, Anantnag
• Tripursundri Devsar, Kulgam
• Manzgam, Kulgam

Rituals and Beliefs

• Devotees offer Kheer (rice pudding), milk, flowers, and light earthen lamps at a sacred spring.
• The color of the spring’s water is believed to signal future events:
• • Clear water – auspicious.
  • Dark or murky – considered a warning.