RAJASTHAN
No end to sand mining in Fbd Aravalis
Locals have alleged that illegal sand mining activities are being carried out in the Faridabad Aravalis near Bharadwaj lake. Camels are being used to transport the sand to different areas, they said.
The Aravali hills, which are spread from Rajasthan and Haryana to Delhi, are an ecologically sensitive zone but have borne the brunt of quarrying and environmental degradation over several decades. This has led to the destruction of aquifers and deforestation in the region, environmentalists said.
In a 2018 report, a Supreme Court-appointed Central Empowered Committee (CEC) had pointed out that around 25% of the Aravali range had been lost due to illegal mining in Rajasthan between 1967 and 1968.
INTERNATIONAL
Microsoft Buys AI Speech Tech Company Nuance
Microsoft has made its second-biggest acquisition after LinkedIn. The tech large has offered AI speech tech company Nuance for $19.7 billion. The go will help Microsoft’s prowess in voice focus and will supply it a improve in the health care market. Nuance is acknowledged for its Dragon software which helps to transcribe speech using deep learning. In 2016, Microsoft had bought LinkedIn for $26 billion.
Nuance presents the AI layer at the healthcare point of shipping and is a pioneer in the real-world software of employer AI.
Henley Passport Index 2021 Was Released
Amid the rising COVID-19 cases and subsequent restrictions on journey overseas, when many nations are banning humans from worst-hit nations, the Henley Passport Index released its list of the most effective passports.
India stands at quantity eighty four on the list, as the Indian citizens can go to Visa-Free or Visa-on-Arrival in over 58 places. Japan, Singapore and Germany, South Korea stand in Top three respectively.
The Henley Passport Index releases listing which measures the world’s most travel-friendly passports. The index ranks the international locations based totally on how robust their passport is.
Index
Rank 1: Japan
Rank 2: Singapore
Rank 3: Germany, South Korea
Rank 4: Finland, Italy, Luxembourg, Spain
Rank 5: Austria, Denmark
World Press Freedom Index 2021 Was Released
The Reporters Without Borders, a not-for-profit body published the World Press Freedom Index, 2021. It ranked 180 countries. India ranked 142 in the index. India was at an identical position in 2020 as well.
Norway topped the index accompanied by means of Finland and Denmark. The index was once topped via Norway in 2020 as well.
Eritrea received the last rank in the index. China ranked 177th out of one hundred eighty countries. North Korea was at rank 179 and Turkmenistan used to be at rank 178.
India was at rank 133 in 2016 and has been sliding positions in view that then. Amongst the Indian neighbourhood, Sri Lanka was ranked at 127, Nepal used to be ranked at 106, Myanmar at 140, Bangladesh at 152 and Pakistan at 145.
NATIONAL
Ministry Of Culture And Tourism Inaugurates Online Exhibition On Ramayana
The Union Minister of Tourism and Culture Patel inaugurated the first online exhibition of Ramayana.
The exhibition will exhibit case forty-nine miniature paintings. The paintings in the exhibition have been collected from the National Museum in New Delhi.
The artwork has been dated between seventeenth century and 19th century.
Ramayana in one of the foremost epics of Indian history. It was once written through Maharishi Valmiki. It was once at the beginning written in Sanskrit. There are various versions of the epic such as Jain versions, Buddhist versions, Sikh versions, Cambodia version, Laos versions, Thailand version, Philippines, Myanmar, etc.
UNESCO declared Ramlila as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2008. The Ramlila festivities are in particular famous in Varanasi, Ayodhya, Madhubani, Satna, Almora and in predominant cities of Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Bihar.
Webinar on Khajuraho Temples of Architectural Splendour
Tourism and Culture Ministry organised a webinar on Khajuraho – Temples of Architectural Splendour under the programme Dekho Apna Desh. Dekho Apna Desh Webinar Series is an way to showcase a rich range of India beneath Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat.
Khajuraho Temples located in Madhya Pradesh (MP) is most beautiful medieval monuments in the country.
The temple is built between 950-1050 AD via the Chandela Dynasty.
The monuments include Hindu and Jain temples.
The temple site is positioned within the Mountain range of Vindhya.
These Temples acquired the fame of UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites in 1986.
The temples are popular for their Nagara-style architectural symbolism.
Dhruv Mk III Aircraft Commissioned in Indian Navy
Indian Naval Air Squadron 323, the 1st unit of the indigenously built Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) Dhruv Mk III aircraft, was commissioned into the Indian Navy (IN).
Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH-DHRUV) is a twin-engine, multi-mission new generation helicopter in the 5.5 ton weight class and it is designed and developed indigenously.
The Helicopter is a multi-role chopper with the Shakti engine manufactured via Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).
HAL is a state-owned aerospace and defence company. HAL is headquartered in Bangalore, India. It is governed underneath the management of the Ministry of Defence.
HAL conceptualised the Advanced Light Helicopter programme in the year1984. The principal variants of Dhruv are labeled as Dhruv Mk-I, Mk-II, Mk-III & Mk-IV.
