1) Ramagundam solar plant: India’s largest floating solar power plant was made fully operational by NTPC at Ramagundam, Telangana.
- The capacity of solar plant is 100 MW.
- The floating platform comprises a transformer, inverter and a HT breaker.
- The presence of floating solar panels will reduce evaporation rate from water bodies. Thus, it will serve the purpose of water conservation.
2) Eco-Sensitive Zones: Ecologically Fragile Areas are areas within 10 kms around Protected Areas, National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries.
- ESZs are notified by MoEFCC, Government of India under Environment Protection Act 1986.
- In case of places with sensitive corridors, connectivity and ecologically important patches, crucial for landscape linkage, even area beyond 10 km width can also be included in the eco-sensitive zone.
- The basic aim is to regulate certain activities around National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries so as to minimise the negative impacts of such activities on the fragile ecosystem encompassing the protected areas.
3) Kai ant chutney: For Odisha’s Mayurbhanj tribes, dishes made of weaver ants offer a cure to many illnesses and are known to boost the immune system and keep diseases at bay
- In Odisha, scientists are now fine-tuning their research to make a presentation for the geographical indications (GI) registry of Kai Chutney
- The tribal healers also prepare medicinal oil by dipping the collected Kais in pure mustard oil.
- Kais are bio-control agents. They are aggressive and prey on most arthropods entering their territory. Due to their predatory habit, Kais are recognized as biological control agents in tropical crops as they are able to protect a variety of crops against many different insect pests.
4) National Investigation Agency (NIA): It is a central agency to investigate and prosecute offences:
- affecting the sovereignty, security and integrity of India, security of State, friendly relations with foreign States.
- against atomic and nuclear facilities.
- smuggling in High-Quality Counterfeit Indian Currency.
- It is also the Central Counter Terrorism Law Enforcement Agency.It is empowered to deal with terror related crimes across states without special permission from the states.
- Established under the National Investigation Agency Act 2008. Works under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
- It was introduced by the then home minister in the wake of the 26/11 Mumbai terrorist attacks and was passed in Parliament with very little opposition.
5) Alluri Sitarama Raju was an Indian revolutionary who waged an armed campaign against British colonial rule in India. He became a monk at the age of 18.
- Born in present-day Andhra Pradesh, he became involved in anti-British activities in response to the 1882 Madras Forest Act, which effectively restricted the free movement of Adivasis (tribal communities) in their forest habitats and prevented them from practicing a traditional form of agriculture known as podu (shifting cultivation).
- Rising discontent towards the British led to the Rampa Rebellion/Manyam Rebellion of 1922, in which he played a major part as a leader.
- He was nicknamed “Manyam Veerudu” (Hero of the Jungle) by local villagers for his heroic exploits
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