1) Indian rhinoceros: Assam Chief Minister has recently announced that no rhinos were poached in the state in 2022.
- They is found only in the Brahmaputra valley, North Bengal, and southern Nepal.
- It has a single black horn (can grow up to 60 cm), a tough, grey-brown hide with skin folds.
- The Indian rhino is listed as vulnerable (it was earlier placed in the endangered category.)
- Assam’s Kaziranga National Park (KNP) alone has 2,613 animals out of 3500 rhinos in India.
2) FAME India Phase II: Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles in India Phase II is launched by Department of Heavy Industry for Promotion of Electric and hybrid vehicle in the country by offering upfront Incentive on purchase of Electric vehicles and by establishing charging Infrastructure for electric vehicles.
- The scheme with total outlay of Rs 10,000 Crores over the period of three years (2019-20 to 2021-22) will be implemented with effect from 1st April 2019.
- Target is to support 10 Lakhs e-2Wheeler, 5 Lakhs e-3Wheelers, 55000 4Wheelers and 7000 Buses.
3) Lumpi-ProVacind Vaccine: it is safe in animals and induces LSDV-specific antibodies and cell-mediated immune response. The vaccine is used for the prophylactic immunization of animals against Lumpy Skin Disease, which illicit protection for about one year
- The vaccine is a homologous, live attenuated vaccine to protect against Capripoxvirus
- The virus is genetically similar to Goatpox and sheeppox. It is transmitted by flies and mosquitoes or ticks (blood-feeding insects). LSD doesn’t affect humans
- Agrinnovate India Limited, the commercial arm of DARE, Ministry of Agriculture granted “Non-Exclusive Rights” for Commercial production of “Lumpi-ProVac”, to Institute of Veterinary Biological Products (IVBP), Pune
4) Unexploded Ordnance (UXO): A military ammunition or explosive device that remains unexploded even after it has been primed and fired is known as Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) in military parlance. Such UXO can be left-overs from a war, a military battle inoculation exercise, field firing exercises etc.
- All unexploded munitions are treated as potentially dangerous and capable of detonating till proven otherwise by professional assessment by military ammunition experts.
5) Higher Education Financing Agency (HEFA): HEFA, which was set up as a non-profit Non-Banking Financing Company (NBFC), is a joint venture between the Union Ministry of Education and the Canara Bank to finance infrastructure development in educational institutions through long-term loans. While the premium is paid by the institute, interest is paid by the government.
- The government expanded the scope of HEFA in 2018 under the Revitalizing Infrastructure and Systems in Education or RISE by 2022 initiative, bringing schools and medical colleges under its ambit, and making it the nodal body in infrastructure financing in the education sector.
- HEFA will have an authorized capital of 2,000 crore rupees and the government equity would be 1,000 crore.
- It also mobilizes CSR funds from Corporates/PSUs which will, in turn, be released for promoting research and innovation in these institutions on a grant basis.
