Why in news?

• The Integrated Management of Wetland, Biodiversity and Ecosystems Services project, funded by the Global Environment Facility Trust Fund (GEFTF), has been allocated ₹31.13 crore for a period of 5 years.
• The three wetlands included in the project are Sasthamcotta Lake in Kerala, Harike Lake in Punjab, and Kabartal in Bihar.
• These three wetlands have been awarded a total budget equivalent of ₹19.02 crores from the GEFTF. The funds are to be divided equally between the three states.
• A project management unit (PMU) and National Project Steering Committee have been constituted to overlook the progress of the project.
• The PMU has conducted a technical appraisal of the plans submitted by state governments, analysing the incorporation of ecosystem services and biodiversity values, mapping the interventions with the threats.

About GEF trust Fund

• The Global Environment Facility (GEF) Trust Fund was established on the eve of the 1992 Rio Earth Summit, to help tackle our planet’s most pressing environmental problems. GEF funding to support the projects is contributed by donor countries.
• GEF funds are available to developing countries and countries with economies in transition to meet the objectives of the international environmental conventions and agreements.
• The World Bank serves as the GEF Trustee, administering the GEF Trust Fund.

Why in news?

• Recently, Australia designated the koala as an endangered species amid pressure on the marsupials’ eucalyptus tree habitats in eastern states of Australia.
• Endangered status to koala means, the species and their forest homes should be provided with greater protection in accordance with Australia’s national environment law.  This would not only protect Koala but many other species living alongside them.
• Threats- Population of Koalas is declining dramatically across the country because of habitat loss, impact of prolonged drought, black summer bushfires, Urbanisation and cumulative impacts of disease. Furthermore, thousands of koalas are thought to have been killed in fires that swept Australia’s eastern and southern states in 2019 and 2020. Thus, this designation would provide more protection to the species.

About Koala

• The koala is an arboreal herbivorous marsupial, native to Australia.
• It is the only extant representative of Phascolarctidae family. Its closest living relatives are wombats, which are the members of Vombatidae family.
• This species is found in coastal areas of Australia’s eastern and southern regions, inhabiting New South Wales, South Australia, Queensland and New South Wales.
• Physical traits-It is recognised by its stout, large head, tailless body, round & fluffy ears and large, spoon-shaped nose. It has a body length of 60–85 cm while and weighs 4–15 kg. Fur colour of Koala ranges from silver grey to chocolate brown.

Why in news?

• A book titled “Atal Bihari Vajpayee”authored by Sagarika Ghose has been launched.
• It is a biography of the former Prime Minister of India.
• Sagarika Ghose is a jounalist. She has also authored a book titled “Indira: India’s Most Powerful Prime Minister”.
• It took three years for the author to complete the biography. She researched on his parliamentary speeches from the 1950s to the 90s, Parliament records, his speeches, his written work, the pronouncements made by his Government, minutes of party meetings, proceedings of annual conferences, party periodicals, the large number of bills etc.

Why in news?

• World Unani Day is observed on February 11 every year to mark the birth anniversary of “Hakim Ajmal Khan”, an eminent Indian Unani physician.
• The first Unani Day was celebrated in 2017at the Central Research Institute of Unani Medicine (CRIUM), Hyderabad.
• The main objective is to spread the awareness in masses and action about healthcare delivery through the Unani system of medicine worldwide through its preventive and curative philosophy.

About Unani system of medicine

• The Unani system of medicine was introduced in India by the Arabs and Persians sometime around the eleventh century.
• India has the largest number of Unani educational, research and health care institutions.
• The Unani system of medicine originated in Greece. Its foundation was laid by Hippocrates.
• The system owes its present form to the Arabs who not only saved much of the Greek literature by rendering it into Arabic but also enriched the medicine of their day with their own contributions.

About Hakim Ajmal Khan

• Hakim Ajmal Khan was an eminent Indian Unani physician who was a versatile genius, a great scholar, a social reformer, a noted freedom fighter, an Unani medical educationist and founder of scientific research in Unani System of Medicine.
• He was one of the founders of the Jamia Millia Islamia in New Delhi.

Why in news?

• The Central Government of India has decided to continue the scheme of “Rashtriya Yuva Sashaktikaran Karyakram (RYSK)” for another 5 years from 2021 -22 to 2025-26 with an outlay of  2,710.65 crore.

Rashtriya Yuva Sashaktikaran Karyakram (RYSK)

• The Scheme Rashtriya Yuva Sashaktikaran Karyakram (RYSK) is an ongoing Central Sector Scheme.
• It aims to develop the personality and leadership qualities of the youth and to engage them in nation-building activities.
• Beneficiaries of this scheme are the youth in the age group of 15 to 29 years (according to the definition of ‘youth’ in the National Youth Policy, 2014).
• The budget allocation of the scheme RYSK for the year 2020-21 is Rs.486.48 Crores.
• It is an umbrella scheme with 7 sub-schemes under scheme RYSK are:
  1. Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan.
  2. National Youth Corps.
  3. National Programme for Youth and Adolescent Development.
  4. International Cooperation.
  5. Youth Hostels.
  6. Assistance to Scouting and Guiding Organisations.
  7. National Young Leaders Programme.

Why in news?

• Justice Munishwar Nath Bhandari has been appointed Chief Justice of the Madras High Court.
• Justice Bhandari had taken over as the Acting Chief Justice of the Madras High Court after the transfer of Justice Sanjib Banerjee to the Meghalaya High Court in November last year.
• The Law Ministry also notified the appointment of a total of 13 advocates and three judicial officers as judges of Andhra Pradesh, Orissa and Madhya Pradesh High Courts.

Why in news?

• Atal Tunnel has officially been certified by the World Book of Records, as the ‘World’s Longest Highway Tunnel above 10,000 Feet’.
• Atal Tunnel was dedicated to the nation by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2020. The 9.02 km long, strategically significant, Atal Tunnel, that runs under the ‘Rohtang Pass’ was constructed on the Manali – Leh Highway under the challenging conditions of freezing temperatures in extremely difficult terrain.
• It was built by Border Roads Organization.
• Construction of this tunnel has reduced the distance on Manali – Sarchu road by 46 km and travel time by four to five hours, providing all-weather connectivity on the Manali – Leh
• Prior to the construction of the tunnel, the highway remained closed during the winter season for six months, isolating Lahaul and Spiti from the mainland.
• World Book of Records UK, is an organisation that catalogues and verifies extraordinary records across the world with authentic certification.

Why In News

• Vandana Thakur, an assistant professor at St Bede’s College, has won Mrs India Globe title.
• She won the award in Chandigarh, beating contestants from across the country.
• She said she had now set her sight on Mrs Globe pageant.

About Mrs India Globe title

• INDIA GLOBE it is a cultural and educational event that seeks to celebrate the talent and intellectual abilities of married women of India.
• The Objective of this cultural & educational event is to reach out to the community and provide a positive space to celebrate our dynamic and rich cultural heritage.

Why in news?

• Jammu and Kashmir government has signed a pact with New Zealand for transforming sheep farming sector.
• The objective of the agreement will be to improve farmers’ remuneration, transfer of technology in research and development and marketing and value addition of J&K sheep products.
• The agreement was signed between the two sides virtually in the presence of LG Manoj Sinha and Navin Choudhary, principal secretary of agriculture production and farmers welfare department animal.

Why in news?

• International Day of Women and Girls in Science is observed globally on 11 February. 
• The 7th International Day of Women and Girls in Science Assembly, taking place on 11 February 2022, aims to recognize the role of women and girls in science, not only as beneficiaries but also as agents of change, including in view of accelerating progress towards the achievement of SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation).
• The Day is implemented by UNESCO and UN-Women in collaboration with institutions and civil society partners that aim to promote women and girls in science.
• The 2022 theme of the Day is “Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion: Water Unites Us”.
• In December 2015, the United Nations adopted a resolution to celebrate February 11 as the International Day of Women and Girls in Science. It was celebrated in 2016 for the first time.
• The idea behind this day is to ensure equal participation and involvement of women and girls in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).