Re-Introduction of Cheetah: The Republic of South Africa and the Republic of India have signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in the Re-introduction of Cheetah to the Asian country. In terms of the agreement, an initial batch of 12 cheetahs are to be flown from South Africa to India during February 2023. The cats will join eight cheetah introduced to India from Namibia during 2022.
Restoring cheetah populations would aim to achieve a number of ecological objectives, including re- establishing the function role of cheetah within their historical range in India and improving the enhancing the livelihood options and economies of the local communities. Following the import of the 12 cheetah in February, the plan is to translocate a further 12 annually for the next eight to 10 years.
Cheetah: Cheetah or Acinonyx Jubatusk is a flagship grassland species. It is a large cat native to Africa and central Iran. It is the fastest land animal, estimated to be capable of running at 80 to 128 km/h.There are four recorded subspecies of Cheetahs.The word ‘Cheetah’ is of Sanskrit origin meaning ‘adorned’ or ‘painted’.The country’s last spotted cheetah died in Sal forests of Chhattisgarh’s Koriya district in 1948 and the wild animal was declared extinct in the country in 1952.
African Cheetah: IUCN status-Vulnerable.
Distribution: Around 6,500-7,000 African cheetahs present in the wild.
Characteristics: They are bigger in size as compared to Asiatic Cheetah.
Asiatic Cheetah:IUCN status-“critically endangered”
Distribution: They are only 40-50 and found only in Iran.
Characteristics: Smaller and paler than the African cheetah.
Exercise Veer Guardian 2023: The inaugural edition of the bilateral air exercise ‘Veer Guardian 2023’ between the Indian Air Force (IAF) and Japan Air Self Defence Force (JASDF) recently concluded in Japan.
Other Maritime Exercises between India & Japan:
Naval: Japan-India Maritime Exercise (JIMEX)
Air Force:SHINYUU Maitri
ARMY: Dharma Guardian
Malabar Exercise (India,US,Japan,Australia)
PM DAKSH Scheme:It is being implemented from the year 2020-21.Under this, eligible target groups are provided with the skill development training programmes on Short Term Training Program; Up-Skilling/Reskilling; Entrepreneurship Development Programme, and Long Term Training Programme.
Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.
Eligibility:Marginalised persons of SC, OBC, EBC, Denotified tribes, Sanitation workers including waste pickers, manual scavengers, transgenders and other similar categories.
Significance:Economic empowerment/ upliftment of these marginalised target groups,
Helps Category of Rural Artisans and empowers Women.
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