1) Chagas Disease: Also called American trypanosomiasis, it is a communicable parasitic disease caused by the parasite protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi.
- The parasites are mainly transmitted by a family of bugs called ‘triatomines’, also known as the ‘kissing bug’. An individual can also contract this disease through congenital transmission (pregnant woman to their baby), blood transfusions, organ transplantation etc.
- The disease cannot propagate by casual contact with infected humans or animals.
- The disease remains most prevalent in Latin America.
- There are currently no vaccines available for Chagas disease, but it is treatable.
2) Maternity Benefits (Amendment) Act 2017: It amended Section 5 of the earlier Act to allow for 26 weeks of paid leave following childbirth, but only for biological mothers.
- It added Section 5(4), which states that adoptive or surrogate mothers who legally adopt a child under the age of three months are eligible for maternity benefits for 12 weeks from the day the infant is handed over to the mother.
- Section 11 of the amended Act added that “every establishment having fifty or more employees shall have the facility of creche within such distance as may be prescribed, either separately or along with common facilities.”
- It is also required that the employer provide the woman with four visits to the creche every day, as well as rest periods for her.
3) Dalai Lama: The Dalai Lama belongs to the Gelugpa tradition of Tibetan Buddhism, which is the largest and most influential tradition in Tibet.
- There have been only 14 Dalai Lamas in the history of Tibetan Buddhism, and the first and second Dalai Lamas were given the title posthumously.
- The Dalai Lamas are believed by Tibetan Buddhists to be manifestations of Avalokiteshvara or Chenrezig, the Bodhisattva of Compassion and the patron saint of Tibet.
- According to Buddhist scholars it is the responsibility of the High Lamas of the Gelugpa tradition and the Tibetan government to seek out and find the next Dalai Lama following the death of the incumbent. The training process of Dalai Lama can take years.
4) Saurashtra Tamil Sangamam: It is a festival that celebrates the cultural connections between Saurashtra in Gujarat and Tamil Nadu.
- The festival highlights the migration of people from Saurashtra in Gujarat to Tamil Nadu’s districts around Madurai, now known as Tamil Saurashtrian, between 600 and 1000 years ago. The festival will take place at multiple locations in Gujarat, including Somnath, Dwarka, and the Statue of Unity at Kevadia.
5) Logo of Saurashtra Tamil Sangamam:Â It is a representation of the merging of the silk fabric expertise of the Tamil Saurashtrian people and the textile industry of Gujarat.
- The confluence of the two cultures is depicted through the Somnath temple, the place of origin of the Saurashtrians, and the Meenakshi temple near Madurai, where they settled.
- A young woman, posing in a dancing posture with dandiya (Gujarat)and bharatanatyam (Tamil Nadu) ,embodies the coming together of two art forms.
- The upper tricolour signifies the message of ‘Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat,’ while the blue colour on the lower side symbolises the merging of the two states with the sea.
