UPSC Daily Current Affairs - 21st January 2024 | Current Affairs & Hindu Analysis: Daily, Weekly & Monthly PDF Download

GS-I

Mahayogi Vemana

Subject: History

Why in News?

Recently, the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has paid tributes to Mahayogi Vemana on the occasion of Vemana Jayanti.

Background:-

• The Prime Minister posted on x: “Today, on Vemana Jayanti, we recall the timeless wisdom of Mahayogi Vemana. His verses and profound teachings continue to enlighten and inspire, guiding us towards a life of truth, simplicity, and inner peace. His insightful works resonate all around the world and his teachings light our path in the quest for a better planet.”

About Mahayogi Vemana:-

• He was a saint in Andhra Pradesh.
• Vemana was born in Gandikota, Kadapa district in Andhra Pradesh.
• He was an Indian philosopher and poet in the Telugu language.
• He was an achala Yogi, Poet, Social Reformer.
• His poems are known for their use of simple language and native idioms.
• They discuss the subjects of yoga, wisdom and morality.
• His poems follow various themes: social, moral, satirical and mystical.
• Most of them are in Ataveladi (dancing lady) meter.
• Notable works:-
  • vemana satakam

Source: PIB

AMRIT UDYAN

Subject: Art and Culture

Why in News?

The Amrit Udyan will open for public viewing from February 2 to March 31.

Background:-

• People can visit the Udyan six days a week except on Mondays which are maintenance days.

About AMRIT UDYAN:-

• The Mughal Gardens at Rashtrapati Bhavan were renamed ‘Amrit Udyan’ in keeping with the theme of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav.
• The cluster of about 15 gardens will collectively be known as Amrit Udyan.

Historical Background:-

• In 1911, the British decided to shift the Indian capital from Calcutta to Delhi.
• About 4,000 acres of land was acquired to construct the Viceroy’s House with Sir Edwin Lutyens being given the task of designing the building on Raisina Hill.
• While initial plans involved creating a garden with traditional British sensibilities in mind, Lady Hardinge, the wife of the then Viceroy, urged planners to create a Mughal-style garden.

Characteristic features:-

• Mughal Gardens (now erstwhile) draw inspiration from the Mughal Gardens of Jammu & Kashmir, the gardens around the Taj Mahal and miniature paintings of India and Persia.
• They are known for their ‘charbagh style’. In Babur Nama, Babur claimed it to be his favourite kind of garden.
• The char bagh structure was intended to create a representation of an earthly utopia – jannat – in which humans co-exist in perfect harmony with all elements of nature.
• These gardens are defined by their rectilinear layouts, are divided into four equal sections, and can be found across lands previously ruled by the Mughals.
• From the gardens surrounding Humayun’s Tomb in Delhi to the Nishat Bagh in Srinagar, all are built in this style.
• A defining feature of these gardens is the use of waterways, often to demarcate the various quadrants of the garden.

Significance:-

• These were not only crucial to maintaining the flora of the garden, they also were an important part of its aesthetic.
• Fountains were often built, symbolising the “cycle of life.

Source: PIB

Lanjia Saura Painting

Subject: Geography

Why in News?

Recently, Lanjia Saura Painting got a GI tag.

About Lanjia Saura Painting:-

• The painting, one of the oldest tribal art forms, is also known as
• The artworks are famous for their beauty, aesthetics, ritualistic association and iconography.
• The art form belongs to the Lanjia Saura community, a PVTG largely residing in the Rayagada district.
• These paintings are in the form of exterior murals painted on the mud walls of homes.
• White paintings figure over a crimson-maroon background.
• It is believed that the Lanjia Sauras paint their walls with Idital artworks to show gratitude to their deities and forefathers, and also for the well-being of their community.
• Reflecting the love and affection of the primitive tribes for nature, they feature subjects like tribal humans, trees, animals, birds, the Sun and the Moon.

Source: Indian Express

Aravalli Range

Subject: Geography

Why in News?

The Supreme Court recently opined that if the State of Rajasthan believes that the mining activities in the Aravali Range pose a threat to the environment, it can also prevent mining activities in the Aravalli Range.

About Aravalli Range:

• It is a mountain range located in northwestern India.
• It is one of the oldest fold mountains in the world.
• It runs in a south-west direction, starting near Delhi, passing through southern Haryana and Rajasthan, and ending in Gujarat.
• The highest point of the Aravalli range is Guru Shikhar, which stands at an elevation of 5,650 feet on Mount Arbuda. 
  • It is 15 km from Mount Abu, which is a popular hill station in the Aravalli Range.
• Rivers: Three major rivers and their tributaries flow from the Aravalli, namely the Banas and Sahibi rivers, which are tributaries of the Yamuna, as well as the Luni River, which flows into the Rann of Kutch. 
• The Aravalli acts as the edge which separates the Thar desert from the plains and plateaus of eastern Rajasthan.
• Formation:
  • It is part of the Aravalli-Delhi orogenic belt, which is a large and complex geological structure formed due to the collision of tectonic plates during the Proterozoic era.
  • It is part of the Indian Shield, that was formed from a series of cratonic collisions.
  • In ancient times, Aravalli were extremely high, but since have worn down almost completely by millions of years of weathering. 
• The range is rich in mineral resources like copper, zinc, lead, and marble.
• It is divided into two sections: the Sambhar-Sirohi ranges, taller and including Guru Shikhar; and the Sambhar-Khetri ranges, consisting of three ridges that are discontinuous.
• There are several national parks and wildlife sanctuaries that fall within the belt of Aravalli Hills. Sariska National Park, Kumbhalgarh Sanctuary, and Mount Abu Sanctuary are among them.

Source: Live Law

GS-II

Ayush Diksha

Subject: Government Schemes

Why in News?

Recently, the Foundation Stone Laying Ceremony for the construction of ‘Ayush Diksha’ will be held on 20th January 2024.

Background:-

• The Ceremony will be held at Central Ayurveda Research Institute (CARI), Bharatpur, Bhubaneshwar, Odisha.

About Ayush Diksha:-

• Ministry: Ministry of Ayush.
• Ayush Diksha is a Human Resource Development Centre of the Government of India’, of Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences.
• The Ayush Diksha project with an approved budget of Rs.30 crore will promote state-of-the-art facilities.
• The construction will consist of two Auditoriums with a capacity of 30-40 trainees each, 40 Central Air Conditioned Rooms with attached bathrooms for apprentice accommodation, and VIP and VIP suites.
• An area dedicated to a natural library and discussion room, adequate parking space, Modular pantry, dining lounges and other necessary facilities are included.
• The Institute will provide a teaching training programme to all the stakeholders of Ayush in general and Ayurveda in particular at the national level. 
• It will also help in collaborating with other national institutions for capacity development, strengthening human resources in Ayurveda, facilitating research and development, maintaining high-quality standards and generating revenue besides achieving self-sufficiency.

Source: PIB

GS-III

Kanger Valley National Park

Subject: Environment 

Why in News?

In a first-of-its-kind model of convergence, Kanger Valley National Park is working with a coalition of various organizations and government departments to prepare a landscape-based ecological restoration plan for the national park.

About Kanger Valley National Park:

• Location:
  • It is located in Jagdalpur, in the Bastar district of Chhattisgarh state.
  • It is located on the banks of the Kholaba River (tributary of the Godavari River). 
• The National Park derives its name from the Kanger River, which flows in its length.
• It got the status of a national park in 1982. 
• The entire Park constitutes the core area and there is no buffer zone.
• Topography: It is noted for its highly heterogeneous land formations, ranging from low, flat, and gentle areas to steep slopes, plateaus, valleys, and stream courses. 
• It is home to three exceptional caves, famous for their amazing geological structures:  Kutumbasar, Kailash, and Dandak-Stalagmites and Stalactites.
• National Park is known for the presence of underground limestone caves with dripstone and floston. The stalagmites and stalactite formations are still increasing. 
• Tirathgarh Waterfall is located in the park.
• The Park also has a sizable tribal population.
• Flora: It is a typical mixed humid deciduous type of forest in which the Sal, Saugaun, teak, and bamboo trees are available in abundance.
• Fauna:
  • Major wild animals include tigers, mouse deer, leopards, wildcat, sambar, chital, barking deer, langurs, jackals, rhesus macaque, flying squirrel, etc.
  • The aerial fauna at the park consists of common hill myna, red jungle fowl, spotted owlet, racket-tailed drongos, parrots, etc.

Source: Times of India

Lamprey Fish

Subject: Science and Technology

Why in News?

A recent study has uncovered two potential new species of lamprey fish in California waters.

About Lamprey Fish:

• Lampreys are boneless, jawless fish with eel-like bodies that date back over 350 million years.
• They belong to a relic (primitive) group of jawless fish called Agnathans.
• They live in coastal and fresh waters and are found in temperate regions around the world, except Africa. 
• Features:
  • They range from about 15 to 100 centimetres (6 to 40 inches) long. 
  • Unlike "bony" fish like trout, cod, and herring, lampreys lack scales, fins, and gill covers. 
  • They breathe through a distinctive row of seven pairs of tiny gill openings located behind their mouths and eyes.
  • Like sharks, their skeletons are made of cartilage.
  • Lamprey’s jawless mouth is a circular, fleshy sucker filled with hundreds of small teeth and a rasping tongue.
  • They are migratory fish, moving between fresh and saltwater to complete their lifecycle.
  • They spend most of their lives at sea and only move into freshwater to spawn and for their juvenile life stage.
  • They attach themselves to large animals like fish and whales using their sucker mouth. They feed as parasites, rasping into the host’s flesh with their sharp teeth and sucking out blood.'

Source: The Hindu

Sultanpur National Park (Haryana)

Subject: Environment and Ecology

Why in News?

The Union government is promoting nature tourism at 16 Ramsar sites, including Chilika Lake and Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary, to support conservation and local economies.

About Sultanpur National Park:

• Formerly known as Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary, it spans 1.42 sq km consisting primarily of marshy lakes and floodplains.
• Location: The Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary is located in the Gurgaon district of Haryana, 46 km from Delhi.
• Ramsar Site: It was recognised as a Ramsar site, a wetland of international importance in 2021.
• Biodiversity: The vegetation is characterized by tropical and dry deciduous types such as grasses, dhok, khair, tendu, jamun, neem, berberis, and species of Acacia.
  • Over 320 bird species have been recorded at Sultanpur, making it a vital wintering ground. Some iconic species found here are the Common Hoopoe, Purple Sunbird, Black Francolin, Little Cormorant, Indian Cormorant, Siberian Crane and Greater Flamingo.
  • Other migratory birds that flock seasonally include Common Teal, Common Greenshank and Ruff.
  • While large wild mammals are absent, the park's terrestrial fauna is represented by animals like the nilgai.
  • Sultanpur National Park is an ecologically significant protected wetland that provides habitat to an array of resident and migratory birds.
• Conservation efforts: The Haryana government has carried out some development works at the sanctuary like the construction of mounds, widening of paths, and digging four tube wells. Efforts are being made to improve vegetation in the area by planting more trees.
• Alternative livelihood program: As part of the Union government’s Amrit Dharohar initiative, to promote tourism at Ramsar sites, the sanctuary has been included in a pilot project for skill development of facilitators, tourism service providers, and stakeholders.

Source: The Hindu