Why in news?

• The historical town of Sujanpur is famous for the Holi fair. “The fair not only represents rich cultural heritage of Himachal pradesh .
• The Sujanpur Mela was a centre of business activities. Merchants from across the region, skilled craftsmen in handicrafts participate here and handlooms products were always a centre of attraction at the fair.

Why in news?

• According to the Himachal Pradesh education minister, school students in classes 9, 10, 11 and 12 will be taught the Bhagavad Gita from this academic session.
• “Gita will be taught in schools in Sanskrit and Hindi languages. Besides, Sanskrit will be introduced for students of Class III onwards,” Minister Govind Singh Thakur said.
• Thakur’s statement comes two weeks after the Gujarat government announced that the Bhagavad Gita will be a part of the school syllabus for classes 6 to 12 across the state from the academic year 2022-23.
• The Karnataka government is also considering introducing the Gita as part of ‘moral education’ in state schools.

Why in news?

• Recently, th e PM greeted people at the start of New Samvatsar (New Year), i.e. the start of Vikram Samvat 2079.
• Vikram Samvat is a lunar calendar started by King Vikramaditya of Ujjain in 57 BC (zero year) to mark his victory over Sakas.

Why in news?

• Recently, the Indian Army has inducted Igla-S systems from Russia.
• Igla-S (Igla- Super) is a very short range air defence system which acts as last line of defence against enemy combat aircraft and helicopters in the multi-layered air defence network.
• It has a maximum range of 6 km, fired from shoulder to neutralise low-flying aircrafts and helicopters.

Why in news?

• Ladakh has identified proper mapping and boundary identification of Changthang and Karakoram sanctuaries along India-China border as a priority concern.
• Wildlife Institute of India (WII) has been asked to map and identify areas of ‘high conservation value to help ‘rationalise’ boundaries – alowing for addition or deletion of land.
• Changthang WLS is located in Ladakhi Changthang plateau in Leh district of Jammu and Kashmir.
• Lakes: Home to highest altitude water lakes, namely, Tso Moriri (also the highest lake on earth), Pangong Tso and Tso Kar.
• Fauna: Kiang or Tibetan wild ass along with the black-necked crane (Grus nicricollis)
• It has Korzok village, which is also considered to be the world’s highest village.
• Karakoram (Nubra Shyok) WLS is located in high altitude of easternmost reaches of Karakoram Range in Leh District.
• Fauna: Abode of Chiru or Tibetan Antelope, Tibetan gazale, Himalayan ibex, Shapo, bharal, wild yak, Snow leopard etc.
• Karakoram wildlife sanctuary is located in the easternmost reaches of the Karakoram range in Leh district.

Why in news?

• PM VIKAS, under Ministry of Minority Affairs, focuses on socio-economic-educational empowerment of minorities wit h special emphasis on artisan communities, women, and youth.
• At least 33% of the total targets in the scheme are reserved for women and provide entrepreneurship and leadership support exclusively to women.
• 10% of these women trained as entrepreneurs shall also be selected to become Business Mentors, based on their leadership qualities.

Other Skill development and employment-oriented programmes for minorities

• Nai Manzil provides a combination of formal education (Class VII or X) and skills, to enable beneficiaries to seek better employment and livelihood.
• Nai Roshni scheme empower and enhance confidence in Minority women by providing knowledge, tool and techniques for Leadership Development of Women.
• Upgrading the Skill and Training in Traditional Arts/Crafts for Development (USTTAD) scheme
• Garib Nawaz Self-Employment Scheme provides for short term job-oriented skill development courses to minorities’ youth in order to enable them for ski-based employment.
• Backup to Brilliance policy.
• Extending PM Jan Vikas Karykram across the country.
• Hunar Haat.
• Seekho aur Kamao (learn and earn).

Why in news?

• Prehistoric relics are discovered along the banks of three rivers flowing through Attappady hills in Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
• Attappady is a tribal block in Palakkad district of Kerala with hulas, Mudugas and Kurumbas as main tribes.
• The archaeological finds include- stone tools, inhabited caves, menhirs, cists or burial chambers, stone circles, burial urns, black and red ware pottery, terracotta images, stone carvings, and granite inscriptions.

Why in news?

• Recently , Arunachal Pradesh State Biodiversity Board (APSBB) inks a pact with World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)- India to develop, the State Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (SBSAP) in New Delhi during a meeting presided by the State Environment and Forest Minister Mama Natung.
• The action plan involves multi-stakeholder consultations and a participatory approach which develops an inclusive action plan to secure nature’s contribution to people.
• The SBSAP will align with the UN Convention on Biological Diversity(CBD)’s Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework and Arunachal Pradesh’s recent Pakke Declaration.

About Pakke Declaration:

• The Arunachal Pradesh state cabinet on November 17 2021, adopted the ‘Pakke Tiger Reserve 2047 Declaration on Climate Change Resilient and Responsive Arunachal Pradesh’, which aims to promote ‘climate-resilient development’ in the state.
• The ‘Pakke Declaration’ focuses on a multi-sectoral approach to low-emission and climate-resilient development based on five broad themes or Panch Dharas (environment, forest and climate change; health and wellbeing of all; sustainable and adaptive living; livelihoods and opportunities; and evidence generation and collaborative action).

Why in news?

• According to the list of Hurun Richest Self-Made Women in the World 2022 released by the Hurun Research Institute. Falguni Nayar, Founder and Chief Executive Officer(CEO) of Nykaa, is ranked 10th with a wealth of USD 7.6 billion. She is the only Indian among the top 10.
• Radha Vembu, co-founder & product manager of Zoho is the second-richest self-made woman billionaire in India with US$3.9bn & ranked 25th in the global list.
• Radha Vembu is top in India, and second across the world, in the list of Biggest Risers.
• Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, executive chairperson and founder of Biocon Limited and Biocon Biologics, is 26th on the list, down two places from last year. She has a wealth of US$3.8 bn.

Top 3 on the list:

• Wu Yajun co-founder of Longfor (China) has topped the list followed by Fan Hongwei, Chairman/President, Hengli Petrochemical Co Ltd(China) and Wang Laichun of Luxshare Precision Industry(China).
• According to the list, there are 124 Self-Made Women Billionaires in World and China contributes to two-thirds of the world’s self-made women billionaires with 78 followed by the United States with 25 and the United Kingdom with 5.

Why in news?

• India contributed USD 500,000 to the United Nation (UN) Women, an agency for gender equality and women empowerment, for their core budget.
• It was handed over by India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, TS Tirumurti to Executive Director (ED) Dr Sima Bahous (UN Women Chief).
• With this contribution, India reaffirmed its support for gender equality and women empowerment and development.
• Earlier in 2021, India also contributed USD 300,000 to the United Nations agency for gender equality and women empowerment.
• Gender Equality is the 5th Sustainable Development Goal(SDG)

About United Nation (UN) Women:

• Headquarters-New York, United States (US)
• Founded- 2010