ETEN Enlightens-Daily current capsules (Prelims Prominence) – 01st Feb. 2018

SPORTS

Khelo India School Games

launched under Khelo India Programme.

held at multiple venues across Delhi from January 31 to February 8, 2018.

16 sports disciplines under which overall 199 gold medals, 199 silver

medals, 275 bronze medals, to were awarded.

What it is for –

It aimed at creating platform to showcase hidden talent, fostering young

sports prodigies and creating awareness and cognizance about physical

fitness as well as good health amongst youngsters.

Enlighten about Khelo India programme

Launched in 2016 for building inclusive and comprehensive sports

ecosystem in country.

It aims at inculcating sports into the day to day lives of youngsters early on

in their lives.

It subsumed earlier three different schemes into one namely: Rajiv Gandhi

Khel Abhiyan (RGKA), National Sports Talent Search Scheme (NSTSS)

and Urban Sports Infrastructure Scheme (USIS).

AGRICULTURE

Pilot scheme on credit cards for farmers

(SBI) has introduced a pilot scheme on credit cards for farmers, which

extends facilities like lower interest rate besides the normal 40 days’ credit

available for credit card users,

launched this facility on a pilot basis in three States — Rajasthan, Gujarat

and Madhya Pradesh. So far, 100 applications have been received

FESTIVALS

Sammakka-Saralamma jatara

Sammakka-Saralamma jatara at Medaram will begin on the full moon day of

Magha Masam as per the Hindu lunar calendar.

The tribal deity Saralamma, in the form of a vermilion casket, will be

brought to Medaram from Kannenapalle village, located about 4 km away

There will be two altars — one for goddess Sammakka and the other for

goddess Saralamma. Both the deities will be represented by bamboo sticks

smeared with turmeric and vermilion, around which would be tied a red

saree.

When the priests bring out the ochre box and other relics from the sacred

groves deep inside the forest, the music from drum

ENVIRONMENT

Nilgiri Marten

Study Report –

Pampadum Shola National Park(kerala) located on the southern portion of

Western Ghats is a safe haven of rare and most elusive Nilgiri Marten.

Enlighten About Nilgiri Marten

Endemic to the Western Ghats, Nilgiri Marten looks like a civet or a

mongoose and it most prefers higher altitudes.

The species is listed as Vulnerable in the IUCN Red List of Threatened

Species and Schedule II, Part 2 of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972.

NATIONAL SOLAR MISSION

Solar Capacity of 20 GW achieved by India

India has achieved 20 GW (giga watt) cumulative solar capacity, achieving

the milestone four years ahead of the target for 2022 originally set in the

National Solar Mission.

The utility-scale cumulative installations now stand at approximately 18.4

GW, with rooftop solar accounting for another 1.6 GW.

The top state for solar installations was Telangana, followed by Karnataka,

Andhra Pradesh, and Rajasthan.

Enlighten About the National Solar Mission

Launched in 2010, aims to establish India as a global leader in solar energy

by creating the policy conditions for its diffusion across the country as

quickly as possible.

The mission is one of the several initiatives that are part of the National

Action Plan on Climate Change.

Initial target was to achieve 20GW by 2022 which was later increased to

100 GW in the 2015 Union budget of India.

SPACE

SUPER BLUE MOON

It combines three unusual lunar events — an extra big super moon, a blue

moon and a total lunar eclipse

Blue moon

A blue moon refers to the second full moon in a month

Typically, a blue moon happens every two years and eight months

Supermoon

Supermoons happen when the moon is closest to Earth in its orbit

This point, called the perigee, makes the moon appear 14% larger and 30%

brighter

Supermoons can happen four to six times a year

Lunar eclipse

A lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes directly behind the Earth into

its umbra

This can occur only when the Sun, Earth, and Moon are aligned exactly, or

very closely so, with the Earth in the middle

Lunar eclipses occur at least twice a year

Fishries

Rapid Detection Kits for Adulterants in Fresh Fish

Developed by

Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (CIFT), Kochi

use of formaldehyde increases the shelf life of fish Ammonia helps in

preventing ice from melting therefore many people in the fisheries sector are

using these chemicals.

The kit helps in detecting both the chemicals in the fish.

BILATERAL RELATIONS

Thar Link Expres

The rail link between India and Pakistan received an extension from

Pakistan

The Thar Link Express that connects Khokhrapar in Pakistan and Munabao

in Rajasthan received an extension for three more years from 1 February

2018 to 31 January 2021

The agreement to run the Thar Link Express was signed in 2006 and is one

of the cheapest means of transport between the two rival countries

Sources- PIB,The Hindu,Indian Express