Current Context : On the eve of Independence Day  3 more wetlands added to the list of Ramsar sites.

• Three new sites included are Nanjarayan Bird Sanctuary and Kazhuveli Bird Sanctuary in Tamil Nadu and Tawa Reservoir in Madhya Pradesh.
• With this addition, the tally of Ramsar sites touches to 85 covering an area of 1358068 ha in the country.

NANJARAYAN BIRD SANCTUARY

• Location : north-eastern region of Uthukuli Taluk of Tiruppur District in Tamil Nadu.
• It is a large shallow wetland named after King Nanjarayan (who restored and repaired it).
• It depends on heavy rain water flow from Nallar drainage.
• Acts as feeding and nesting habitat for resident and migratory birds; water source for agricultural purpose
• Area : 865 Ha.

KAZHUVELI BIRD SANCTUARY

• It was declared as the 16th bird sanctuary in Tamil Nadu in the year 2021.
• It is a brackish shallow lake located on the Coromandel Coast in Villupuram district, North of Pondicherry.
• Connected to Bay of Bengal by brackish Uppukalli creek and Yedayanthittu estuary.
• It is Breeding ground for birds, fish; source for aquifer recharge; houses highly degraded mangrove patches containing Avicennia species
• The lake is one of the largest wetlands in peninsular India.
• Area : 5151.6 ha.

TAWA RESERVOIR

• Located inside Satpura Tiger Reserve and borders Satpura National Park and Bori Wildlife Sanctuary.
• It is an important habitat for many local and migratory birds.
• It constructed at the confluence of the Tawa and Denwa rivers.
• River Malani, Sonbhadra, and Nagdwari are the major tributaries of Tawa reservoir.
• Tawa River, a left bank tributary of Narmada river originates from Mahadeo hills in Chhindwara district, flows through Betul district and joins river Narmada in Narmadapuram district.

ABOUT WETLAND

• Wetlands are areas where water covers the soil or is present near the soil’s surface for varying periods of the year. They are distinguished by their unique hydrology, soil types, and vegetation.
• Wetland must meet at least 1 of 9 criteria like regularly supports 20,000 or more water birds, or conserving biological diversity
• Now, total Ramsar Sites in India is 85.
• Tamil Nadu has maximum Ramsar Sites.

Current Context : Tamil and Malayalam writer B. Jeyamohan was awarded the inaugural Book Brahma Sahitya Puraskara – 2024.

• Jeyamohan is recognised as a distinguished short-story writer and critic,” Book Brahma, a Kannada literature and book catalogue portal.
• Aim : to honour those who have significantly contributed to Indian language literature.
• The ‘Book Brahma Sahithya Puraskara’ includes a cash prize of ₹2 lakh, a citation plaque, and a book bouquet.
• Award is presented annually during the ‘Book Brahma Literature Festival.’

Current Context : State Panchayat and Rural Development Minister Prahlad Patel inspected the country’s first PM Janaman Colony built-in Shivpuri Janpad Panchayat Madhya Pradesh.

• The first PM Janaman Awas in the country was given to Bhagchandra Adivasi of Kalothra Panchayat of Shivpuri Block.
• A total of 1 lakh 13 thousand 433 Janaman Awas were approved in Madhya Pradesh.
• Out of these, Madhya Pradesh is at first place in the country by building 22 thousand 619 houses.

ABOUT PRADHAN MANTRI JANJATI ADIVASI NYAYA MAHA ABHIYAN (PM JANMAN )

• Launched in : Budget 2023-24
• Aim : To improve the socio economic conditions of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs).
• Key Features : Pucca housing, road connectivity, piped water supply, mobile medical units, hostel construction, Anganwadi Centers, skill development centers, electricity connections, solar street lighting, Van Dhan Vikas Kendra, and mobile towers to tribal groups.

Current Context : Shri Dhiraj Singh, an Indian Information Service (IIS) Officer of the 1995 batch, has taken charge as Director, Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune.

ABOUT FTII

• Established in 1960 and initially known as the ‘Film Institute of India’, the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII).
• Location : Pune, Maharashtra
• FTII operates as an Autonomous Society under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, governed by a Council and led by its Director.
• It offers a variety of diploma and certificate courses in film direction, cinematography, editing, sound, acting, and other related fields.

Current Context : The Ministry of External Affairs and ISRO’s commercial arm NewSpace India Limited (NSIL) signed an agreement to grant assistance for launching the Nepal-built Munal satellite.

ABOUT MUNAL

• It is an indigenous satellite developed in Nepal under the aegis of the Nepal Academy of Science and Technology (NAST).
• Nepali space startup, has assisted Nepali students in the design and fabrication of this satellite.
• Aim : to build a vegetation density database of the earth’s surface.
• This satellite is expected to be launched soon on NSIL’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle.

It is observed annually on 20 August.

• Aim : to raise awareness about the development of renewable energy in India.
• The day was first celebrated in
• The purpose of Akshay Urja Day is to highlight the need for sustainable energy sources like solar, wind, biomass, and hydroelectric energy, which are environmentally friendly and vital for reducing the dependency on fossil fuels.

It is observed annually on 20 August to commemorate the memory of our late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.

• Sadbhavna means goodwill and bonafide.
• The day is dedicated to promoting peace, national integration, and communal harmony among people of all religions, languages, and regions.

It is observed every year on 20 August. 

• Aim : to raise awareness about the dangers posed by mosquitoes, particularly in transmitting diseases like malaria, dengue, Zika, and chikungunya.
• This day honours the British doctor, Sir Ronald Ross’s discovery in 1897 that ‘female mosquitoes transmit malaria between humans’.

Current Context : Recently, SEBI approved Praveena Rai as new MD & CEO of MCX, the country’s largest commodity exchange.

• Rai was the COO of NPCI (National Payment Corporation of India) and was in charge of formulating and deploying the marketing, business development, product management, and operations strategy.

ABOUT SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE BOARD OF INDIA (SEBI)

• It is a regulatory authority for the securities and commodity market in India.
• Established in 1992 under the SEBI Act.
• Aim of protecting investors’ interests, regulating the securities market, and promoting its development.
• Function: Regulates stock exchanges and other securities markets, Protects the interests of investors by enforcing regulations and ensuring compliance.

Current Context : Recently, Aaranyak, an NGO based in Guwahati, launched a mobile application, HaatiApp to reduce human-elephant conflict.

• Objective : to reduce the human-elephant conflict in Assam and surrounding states.
• This application will create a bridge between government departments and the common people.
• Developed by the biodiversity organization Aaranyak with support from the SBI Foundation.
• It serves as an early warning system that notifies users of wild elephant movements near human settlements.