• The largest religious monument in the world, the Temple of Vedic Planetarium in West Bengal, which will serve as the headquarters of the International Society of Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), will also have the world’s biggest dome. The Vedic Planetarium will offer guests a tour of the various parts of the cosmic creation.
• The Temple of Vedic Planetarium is ISKCON founder Srila Prabhupada’s vision and is apparently inspired by the design of the Capitol building in the United States. Srila Prabhupada stated his preference for the temple’s exterior style in July of 1976.
• The Temple of Vedic Planetarium is in West Bengal’s Mayapur in the Nadia district and, once completed, it will be larger than the Taj Mahal and St. Paul’s Cathedral in the Vatican. The temple will open in 2024, following a two-year delay brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. It will purportedly replace Cambodia’s 400-acre-large Angkor Wat temple complex as the largest religious monument.

Onam 2022: Day-Wise Significance

• Day 1, Atham: The first day is Known as Atham, which marks the beginning of the festival. It is believed that Asura King Mahabali’s annual visit from Patala Lok to every Malayali home and meet people on Tiruvonam day.
• Day 2, Chithira: The second day is known as Chithira. On this day, another layer of a carpet of flower called Pookalam is added. They welcome Bali by burning lamps and singing traditional Onam songs to him.
• Day 3, Chodhi: The third day is called Chodhi Pookkalam when another layer is added to the carpet of flowers. People buy new clothes, jewellery and also gift each other on this day and it is known as Onakodi.
• Day 4, Visakam: It is the fourth day of this festival on which the preparation related Onasadhya or Onam feast begins.
• Day 5, Anizham: The fifth day is called Anizham which is exclusively earmarked for the famous boat race. This race begins from Aranmula, a small town in Pathanamthitta.
• Day 6, Thriketa: The sixth day is known as Thriketa, on which day the holidays for the festival begins and people spend most of their time celebrating the festival.
• Day 7, Moolam: On the seventh day, Moolam temples organize elaborate pujas. This day also marks the beginning of Ona Sadya and cultural performances.
• Day 8, Pooradam: The eighth day is called Pooradam. On this day, the idols of King Mahabali and Vamana are installed at home and the King visits the home of Malayali people on this day.
• Day 9, Uthradom: The ninth day is called Uthradom. On this day, Mahabali arrives at Kerala. Traditional meals are prepared at home and fresh vegetables are bought as well.
• Day 10, Thiruvonam: It is the tenth day, which is known as Thiruvonam. This is when King Mahabali is greeted with a warm welcome by the people of Kerala. People take bath early in the morning and in homes, Thiruona Sadya (Special meal for Onam) is prepared.

About

• Onam is a major harvest festival in Kerala and is celebrated to honour the home-coming of Asura king Mahabali who brought about peace and prosperity in Kerala.
• It is one of the three major festivals of Kerala, celebrated during the month of Chingam, the first month in the Malayalam calendar, Kollavarsham.
• The other two major festivals of the state are Vishu and
• The 10-day harvest festival begins on Atham (first day of Onam) and concludes on Thiruvonam (last day).
• Onam is celebrated by making Pookkalam (the flower rangolis). Other rituals are also performed which includes-Vallam Kali (the boat races), Pulikali (the tiger dances), Kummattikali (mask dances), Onathallu (martial arts), among others.
• The main attraction is the traditional Onam sadhya(grand feast).

• The Telangana AI Mission (T-AIM) has revealed that four of its startups have been selected by MeitY to represent India at the G20 Digital Innovation Network (DIN).
• T-AIM is an initiative of the state Government supported by NASSCOM. The four startups – Arficus, Edubuk, Eunimart, and MayaMD supported by Revv Up programme.
• The program has been supporting 80 startups built on Artificial Intelligence (AI). Revv Up is a free-of-equity-or-cost acceleration program by T-AIM that is exclusively designed for early-stage AI startups.
• The G-20 DIN will be held during 2nd September-4th September 2022 at Bali International Convention Center, Bali, Indonesia.
• These startups have been receiving mentorship and knowledge sessions from industry experts, access to global pathways, and technology and IP resources to build scalable businesses.

• A Memorandum of Understanding MoU was signed between Pharmacopoeia Commission for Indian Medicine and Homoeopathy under Ministry of Ayush and Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission under Ministry of Health in New Delhi for Inter-Ministerial cooperation for promotion and facilitation of One Herb, One Standard.
• The primary objective of this MoU is the development of cooperative efforts between both organizations to promote public health by facilitating the development of harmonized Herbal drug standards. He said, since both are working with the common cause, it is logical and meaningful to harmonize the standards to achieve One Herb – One Standard.
• The MoU will further facilitate collaboration for promoting exchange of information in the area of standardization of Traditional medicine by sharing of scientific information and drug raw materials or extracts, seminars, workshops, training and brainstorming programs.

About Pharmacopoeia Commission for Indian Medicine & Homoeopathy (PCIM&H)

• Pharmacopoeia Commission for Indian Medicine & Homoeopathy (PCIM&H) was initially established as Pharmacopoeia Commission for Indian Medicine (PCIM) in the year 2010 and later in pursuance to the decision of Central Government (dated 20th March 2014), Homoeopathy was incorporated and the Commission was renamed as Pharmacopoeia Commission for Indian Medicine & Homoeopathy.
• It was constituted with a primary mandate of publishing Pharmacopoeias and Formularies for drugs/formulations used in Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani and Homoeopathy (ASU&H) systems of Medicine.
• The Commission serves as an umbrella organization for Ayurvedic, Siddha, Unani and Homoeopathy Pharmacopoeia Committees. Pharmacopoeial Laboratory for Indian Medicine (PLIM) and Homoeopathic Pharmacopoeia Laboratory (HPL) are its supporting structures.
• Commission is working in the view of excellence for the development of regulatory standards of Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani & Homoeopathy (ASU&H) drugs.
• It is committed to promote and preserve the well-being of humans and animals in India, by bringing out official standards for quality of drugs included in Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani & Homoeopathy systems of Medicine used by AYUSH professionals and consumers.

• The Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited (SJVN) won two ‘Gold Awards’ in the 12th Exceed Environment, HR and CSR Awards 2022.
• The awards were presented for the SJVN’s mobile health van service, ‘Satluj Sanjeevani Sewa’, and for its extensive efforts in the preservation of environment.
• The SJVN is committed to fulfill its societal commitment and strives to enhance the quality of life of its stakeholders and follows best practices for environment preservation,” said SJVN chairman Nand Lal Sharma.
• Satluj Sanjeevani Sewa was started under the umbrella of SJVN CSR Foundation in 2012 for providing free medical consultancy services and medicines at the doorsteps of the local communities through mobile health vans.
• These mobile health vans have facilitated medical treatment of more than 10 lakh people in the states of Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Bihar and Maharashtra, covering more than 100 Gram-Panchayats and 200 community locations.
• Every mobile health van is managed by a qualified medical team comprising of a Doctor, Pharmacist and allied staff and these vans are also equipped with basic diagnostic test equipment.

• Agriculture Minister Virender Kanwar said that a flower market would be opened in Una. It will be the second such market in the state after Parwanoo.
• He was speaking at a ‘Kisan Sammelan’ organised in Takka village of Kutlehar Assembly segment.
• Kanwar said the farmers of Una district cultivate flowers on a large scale, but face difficulties in marketing the produce.

Other Initiatives in Una

• He said a new vegetable and fruit market is being constructed in Rampur village near Una city and tenders amounting to Rs 2.5 crore have been awarded for the works.
• He said that additional land is being procured adjacent to the existing plot of the vegetable market for its expansion.
• The minister said the Rs 1,010-crore second phase of the JICA-assisted crop diversification project has been initiated. It will be implemented in all districts of the state.

Other Initiatives in Agriculture Sector in State

• He informed that the state government has promoted the plantation of asafoetida in Kullu and Mandi districts besides saffron in Lahaul and Spiti.
• In Una, Hamirpur and Bilaspur districts, cinnamon cultivation has been promoted to boost farm income.
• A MoU would soon be signed with IHBT Palampur for providing 40,000 saplings of cinnamon every year to the department for distribution to the farmers.
• Agriculture Department officers spoke about the new techniques and interventions in agricultural practices.

• Two U.S. Navy warships sailed through international waters in the Taiwan Strait, the first such operation since a visit to Taiwan by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi enraged China which regards the island as its territory.

About:

• Pelosi’s Taiwan trip in early August infuriated China which saw it as a U.S. attempt to interfere in its internal affairs.
• China subsequently launched military drills near the island which have since continued. China has never ruled out using force to bring Taiwan under its control.
• The Taiwan Strait is a 180-kilometer-wide strait separating the island of Taiwan and continental Asia. The narrowest part is 130 km wide.
• The strait is part of the South China Sea and connects to the East China Sea to the north.
• Former names of the Taiwan Strait include the Formosa Strait or Strait of Formosa, from a dated name for Taiwan; and the Strait of Fokien or Fujian, from the Chinese province forming the strait’s western shore.

• The CWRC near Kaziranga National Park has completed 20 years of providing emergency care, treatment and rehabilitation to indigenous wild animals displaced due to various reasons.

About CWRC 

• It is a joint initiative of the Assam Forest Department, the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) and the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW)
• It was established on August 28, 2002.
• It currently has two satellite facilities called mobile veterinary services. These are located in eastern Assam at Guijan in Tinsukia district (Dibru Saikhowa National Park) and in western Assam at Charaikhola (Chakrashila Wildlife Sanctuary).
• It continues to be the only facility in India to have successfully addressed the welfare and conservation of 357 species including elephant, leopard, rhino, tiger, clouded leopard, black bear, wild buffalo, hog deer, muntjac, wild boar and monkeys.
• It has become a model now in the field of wildlife conservation and its needs in Assam.

Kaziranga National Park

• Kaziranga National Park in the northeast Indian state of Assam is a world heritage site, notified by UNESCO in 1985.
• It is the oldest park in Assam along the river Brahmaputra on the North and the Karbi Anglong hills on the South.
• National Highway 37 passes through the park area and tea estates, hemmed by table-top tea bushes.
• The park holds the world’s largest population of the greater one-horned rhinoceros and provides refuge to a large number of wild animals including the endangered Royal Bengal tiger and the Asian elephant.

• World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has removed the “nine-dash line” from a heatwave map posted on its Facebook page.
• UN organization edited its post about the ongoing heatwaves in China and removed the “nine-dash line” while only showing the mainland part of the country.
• This call was taken after Vietnam had asked WMO to remove the infamous nine-dash line to respect its sovereignty in the East Sea.
• Vietnam Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Le Thi Thu Hang called for WMO’s attention on the matter and dismissed the “so-called nine-dash line.”
• Vietnam has repeatedly dismissed the so-called nine-dash line as well as other maritime statements that go against international laws and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (1982).
• The Foreign Ministry spokesperson said nations and organizations around the world must “remove and edit unsuitable content” that violates Vietnam’s sovereignty.
• The nine-dash line, at various times also referred to as the ten-dash line and the eleven-dash line has been used by China to illegally claim huge swathes of the South China Sea, known in Vietnam as the East Sea.
• Beijing’s self-claimed line has been internationally condemned and rejected as it has no legal basis internationally.
• With the growing assertiveness of China in the South China Sea region, the discontent of South East Asian countries has amplified.
• Owing to Beijing’s imperialistic attitude in the region, the resentment in these ASEAN countries has been on the rise since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic.
• Writing for Inside over, Italian expert Federico Giuliani contended that there are reasons for South East Asian countries to be wary of China as Beijing stepped up its hegemony in the region and mounted pressure on littoral countries.
• According to Giuliani, the grievances of the ASEAN nations are not only limited to their sovereignty. Chinese encroachment on the vast reserves of natural gas and oil strips them of valuable marine resources that can boost their economic development.
• The author points out how Beijing issues direct threats of military attack if ASEAN countries do not stop their activities of oil drilling or exploration. China sends its vessels across the South China Sea, often violating maritime boundaries, and takes over disputed islands to build military bases.
• Chinese aeroplanes also carry out incursions in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of these nations
• It has even threatened countries like Malaysia, Indonesia, and Vietnam for even carrying out economic activities such as drilling in their own maritime territories that are authorised by The Hague’s international arbitration court,
• Exerts believes that Beijing is fast losing trust among the South East Asian countries.

• The 50th All Manipur Shumang Leela Festival 2021-2022 kicked off at Iboyaima Shumang Leela Shanglen at Palace Compound in Imphal. Manipur Governor La Ganesan and Chief Minister N. Biren Singh attended the inaugural function.
• During the festival, the Governor also distributed medals to the winners of 49th All Manipur Shumang Leela Festival 2020-21.
• Manipur Governor La Ganesan in his inaugural speech said that Shumang Leela has become a powerful medium for mass education besides giving entertainment and relaxation
• La. Ganesan said that the present day Shumang Leelas have been trying to focus on the issues of moral values, unity and integrity. It has also been trying to strengthen the bond of brotherhood and friendship among various communities in the State.
• Chief Minister N. Biren Singh while speaking at the function said that the government is committed to extend support to the artists in the State.
• He said, Chief Minister’s Pension Scheme for Artists has been implemented and separate budgetary allocation has been made for organizing Shumang Leela Festival. He said, under AYUSHMAN BHARAT and CMHT all artists will be covered.

About Shumang Leela

• It is also called Shumang Kumhei.
• It is a traditional form of theatre in
• ‘Shumang’ means courtyard and ‘Leela’ means play.
• The theatre is arranged in the form of open air from four sides.
• All the characters, including women, are played by male actors.
• It was officially recorded for the first time in the state with the Harischandra leela in 1918.
• However, the form is much older and is believed to have existed during the reign of King Chandrakriti (1851-1886).
• In 2017, Sougrakpam Hemanta was conferred the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in recognition of his contribution in Shumang Leela, thus became the first person to receive the award for this art form.
• The theatre form remains a popular medium to spread awareness on social issues.