1) Ramcharitmanas of Tulsidas: Tulsidas, wrote the Ramcharitmanas in the 16th century in the Awadhi dialect on the banks of the Ganga in Varanasi.
- He was a contemporary of Emperor Akbar and is thought to have corresponded with Abdurrahim Khan-e-Khanan, the son of Akbar’s commander Bairam Khan.
- The Ramcharitmanas is based on the Ramayana – sage Valmiki’s great epic. It is divided into seven chapters (Kand) that tell the story of Lord Ram from birth to his becoming King of Ayodhya.
2) Kashmir’s Pashmina shawls: It is a GI-certified wool that has its origin in the Kashmir region of India. Due to the high quality of the wool used and the labour-intensive process required to make each individual piece, pashmina shawls are quite expensive.
- The Changthangi goats (Capra Hircus), domesticated in Ladakh, are the source of the wool used to weave Pashmina Shawls.
- The Changpa tribes of Ladakh who herd the Changthangi goats harvest the raw Pashm.
- Shahtoosh: It is the name given to the wool of the Tibetan chiru (Endangered in the IUCN Red List) antelopes.
3) Black Vulture: they are most abundant at low elevations. They breed in dense woodlands but usually forage in open habitats. It is mainly found in the north eastern United States to Peru, Central Chile and Uruguay South America. They typically avoid crossing large bodies of water and do not cover long distances. IUCN Red List: Least Concern
4) Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme: ECLGS was rolled out in 2020 as part of Aatmanirbhar package in response to the Covid-19 crisis to support small businesses struggling to meet their operational liabilities due to the imposition of a nationwide lockdown.
- A 100% guarantee is provided by the National Credit Guarantee Trustee Company (NCGTC) to Member Lending Institutions (MLIs) – banks, financial institutions and Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs). There is no guarantee fee to be charged by MLIs or NCGTC.
- ECLGS 1.0: for MSME units, Business Enterprises, Mudra Borrowers, and individuals
- ECLGS 2.0: for borrowers in the 26 sectors named by the Kamath Committee
- ECLGS 3.0: for hospitality and related sectors (hotels and restaurants, marriage halls, canteens, etc.), travel and tourism, civil aviation etc.
- ECLGS 4.0: for qualified hospitals, nursing homes, clinics, medical colleges
5) World Economic Situation and Prospectus 2023 report: UNDESA (in partnership with UNCTAD and five regional UN commission) have produced this report.
- World output growth will decelerate to 1.9% in 2023 (from 3% in 2022)
- On South Asia: The economic outlook has “significantly deteriorated due to high food and energy prices, monetary tightening and fiscal vulnerabilities” with average GDP growth projected to moderate to 4.8% in 2023 from 5.6% in 2022
- On India: Economic growth in India is projected to moderate in 2023, with higher interest rates weighing on investment and slower global growth weakening exports
- It recommends Reprioritization of public expenditures esp. in education, health and digital infrastructure; more social protection.
