• 03 Feb 2022

Bakhira Wildlife Sanctuary Declared Ramsar Site

Why in News

• On the occasion of World Wetlands Day on February 2, 2022, Union Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav declared 'Bakhira Wildlife Sanctuary' in Uttar Pradesh and 'Khijadiya Wildlife Sanctuary' in Gujarat as Ramsar sites in a program organized at Sultanpur National Bird Park, Gurugram, Haryana.

Key Points

• With the inclusion of these two sanctuaries in the Ramsar site, the total number of protected wetlands in the country has increased to 49. Now the number of Ramsar sites in India has become the largest among the countries of South Asia.
• Similarly, the number of Ramsar sites in Uttar Pradesh has now increased to 10 - 1. Upper Ganga River (Brajghat to Narora stretch), 2. Nawabganj Bird Sanctuary (Unnao), 3. Sandi Bird Sanctuary (Hardoi), 4. Samaspur Bird Sanctuary (Rae Bareli), 5. Saman Bird Sanctuary (Mainpuri), 6. Parvati Arga Bird Sanctuary (Gonda), 7. Sarsai Nawar Lake (Etawa), 8. Sur Sarovar Lake/Keetham Lake (Agra), 9. Haidarpur Wetland, 10 Bakhira Wildlife Sanctuary (Sant Kabir Nagar).
• Bakhira Wildlife Sanctuary, located in the Sant Kabir Nagar district of Uttar Pradesh, provides a safe and favorable winter habitat for a large number of Central Asian bird species.
• On this occasion the National Wetlands Decadal Change Atlas on Wetlands of India (in physical form) prepared by Space Application Center (SAC), Ahmedabad was also released, which throws light on the changes in wetlands over the last decade.
• It is noteworthy that the Ramsar Treaty is an international treaty for the conservation and efficient use of wetlands, which was signed on February 2, 1971 in the city of Ramsar, Iran.
• World Wetlands Day is celebrated all over the world on 2 February every year to mark the date of implementation of the Treaty on Wetlands. It is celebrated to raise global awareness about the important role of wetlands for people and our planet.
• The theme of this year's World Wetlands Day is 'The Role of Wetlands for People and Nature', which highlights the importance of work to ensure the conservation and sustainable use of wetlands for the health of humans and the planet.

Dr. Komal Kothari Memorial Life Time Achievement Lok Kala Award

Why in News

• On February 2, 2022, the prestigious 'Dr. Komal Kothari Smriti Life Time Achievement Lok Kala Puraskar' by West Zone Cultural Arts Center was presented to Jaipur's folk art expert Vijay Verma at his residence due to health reasons.

Key Points

• According to the instructions of Kalraj Mishra, Governor of Rajasthan and President of West Zone Cultural Center, Subir Kumar, Principal Secretary to Governor and Kiran Soni Gupta, Director of West Zone Cultural Center honored Vijay Verma by reaching Mansarovar's residence.
• As a reward, Vijay Verma was given a shawl, a citation, a check of one lakh twenty five thousand five hundred rupees.
• It is worth mentioning that this time for the 'Dr. Komal Kothari Memorial Life Time Achievement Folk Kala Puraskar' given by the Union Ministry of Culture's West Zone Cultural Center, Udaipur in the memory of the well-known art penetrator of Rajasthan, Dr. Komal Kothari, this time jointly Maharashtra Dr. Prakash Sahdev Khandge, an art sage from Thane and Vijay Verma of Jaipur were selected.
• It is worth mentioning that Dr Komal Kothari is also known as 'Komal Da'. He did important work for the protection of folk arts. He founded the Rupayana Sanstha in Borunda for the preservation of the folk arts of Rajasthan, folk music and instruments, search for the vanishing arts, etc.

Winter Bird Count Completed in Ramsar Site Bhoj Wetland

Why in News

• On February 2, 2022, Environment Minister of Madhya Pradesh Hardeep Singh Dung concluded the bird-counting for the last 45 days at Ramsar Site Bhoj Wetland in Madhya Pradesh on World Wetland Day.

Key Points

• More than 200 participants from across the country participated in the eight-stage bird census under the joint aegis of State Wetland Bhopal Birds, Van Vihar National Park, State Wetland Authority and VNS Nature Saviors. The participants included senior forest officials, ornithologists, ornithologists, photographers, students and bird lovers from states like Maharashtra, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, Bihar etc.
• In the autumn bird census conducted in Bhoj wetland, 207 species of birds were identified. This time in Bhopal's Van Vihar, the migratory birds also include rare birds that come after traveling thousands of kilometers.
• Migratory birds include Bar Headed Geese, Gray Leg Geese, Red Crested Pochard, Common Pochard, Eurasian Vision, Northern Showler, Common Coot, Comb Duck, Ruddy Shelduck, Common Teal, Little Grebe, Spot-billed Duck, Cotton Teal, Gray Headed Lapwing, Common Snipe, Red-naped Ibis, Glossy Ibis, Black-headed Ibis, Painted Stork, Open Billed Stork, Blue Throat, Eurasian Rhinebeck, Black Red Start, Black Bittern, Chestnut Bittern, Long-tailed Minivet, Booted Warbler, Asian Brown Flycatcher, Black-headed Bunting, Red Headed Bunting, Brown Headed Gull, Palash Gull etc. were identified.
• AK Jain, assistant director of Van Vihar National Park, said that Bhoj Wetland was divided into five zones for the purpose of enumeration – Vishankhedi to Bilkheda, Bamhori, Chhote Talab to Bairagarh, Borkhan and Nilbad to Khajuri. This time rare species of migratory birds Gray Leg Geese, Bar Headed Geese, Black Bittern, Chestnut Bittern, Gray Headed Lep Wing, Pere Green Falcon and Long Tailed Mini Wet Birds were also seen roaming freely in Van Vihar situated on the edge of Bhoj Wetland.

Digital Transaction: East Zone Electricity Distribution Company Tops in the Country

Why in News

• According to the recently released data, Madhya Pradesh Poorva Kshetra Vidyut Vitran Company Limited, Jabalpur has secured the first position among all the electricity distribution companies in the country, registering 91.13 percent of the total transactions in the form of digital transactions in December 2021.

Key Points

• The Government of Goa Electricity Department stood second and M/s Tata Power Mumbai third after Madhya Pradesh's Purva Kshetra Vidyut Vitran Company Limited, Jabalpur.
• According to the data recorded in the East Zone Electricity Distribution Company, out of a total of 24,78,282 transactions, 22,58,460 transactions were done through digital medium. Out of the total revenue amount of Rs 519.11 crore collected by the company in the month of December, Rs 390.45 crore has been deposited by the consumers through digital means.
• Various payment gateways have been authorized by Madhya Pradesh Poorva Kshetra Vidyut Vitran Company Limited, Jabalpur for payment of electricity bills. In this, payment can be made safely and easily through various digital means like Credit Card, Debit Card, Payment Wallets, Internet Banking, UPI etc.

World Wetland Day Organized at Sultanpur Lake

Why in News

• World Wetland Day (World Wetland Day) was organized on 2 February 2022 at Sultanpur National Bird Park, Gurugram, Haryana. On this occasion, Union Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav declared 'Bakhira Wildlife Sanctuary' in Uttar Pradesh and 'Khijadiya Wildlife Sanctuary' in Gujarat as Ramsar sites.

Key Points

• With the inclusion of these two sanctuaries in the Ramsar site, the total number of protected wetlands in the country has increased to 49. Now the number of Ramsar sites in India has become the largest among the countries of South Asia.
• It is to be noted that in May 2021, Sultanpur National Bird Park in Gurugram and Bhindawas Wildlife Sanctuary in Jhajjar were declared as Ramsar sites (wetlands of international importance).
• Sultanpur National Park is spread over an area of 350 acres in Sultanpur village on the Gurugram-Jhajjar highway. Sultanpur National Park was notified as a wildlife sanctuary on April 2, 1971. It got the status of a national park on July 5, 1991.
• A series of webinars related to various aspects of wetlands are being organized on the occasion of Wetlands Day celebrations. In Haryana, an exercise on the number of birds is also going on in different parts of the state.
• On this occasion the National Wetlands Decadal Change Atlas on Wetlands of India (in physical form) prepared by Space Application Center (SAC), Ahmedabad was also released, which throws light on the changes in wetlands over the last decade.
• It is noteworthy that the Ramsar Treaty is an international treaty for the conservation and efficient use of wetlands, which was signed on February 2, 1971 in the city of Ramsar, Iran.
• World Wetlands Day is celebrated all over the world on 2 February every year to mark the date of implementation of the Treaty on Wetlands. It is celebrated to raise global awareness about the important role of wetlands for people and the planet.
• The theme of this year's World Wetlands Day is 'The Role of Wetlands for People and Nature', which highlights the importance of work to ensure the conservation and sustainable use of wetlands for the health of humans and the planet.
• It is noteworthy that wetlands are ecologically diverse ecosystems, which shelter 40 percent of the biodiversity. These absorb water, control floods, purify water and recharge the water table. They store about 1/3 of the global carbon and control climate change. However, if they are not protected, they can also be a source of carbon emissions.

Pradeep Srivastava to be the Judge of Jharkhand High Court

Why in News

• On February 1, 2022, the Supreme Court Collegium recommended the appointment of Pradeep Kumar Srivastava, a judicial officer of the Jharkhand Superior Judicial Service, as a judge of the Jharkhand High Court.

Key Points

• It may be noted that the Supreme Court Collegium has reiterated the above recommendation. The Collegium, in its meeting held on September 1, 2021, last year, had proposed the name of the above judicial officer as a judge of the Jharkhand High Court.
• It may be noted that recently four officers of the Jharkhand Judicial Service were promoted and made judges of the Jharkhand High Court.
• Presently Pradeep Srivastava is posted as Principal District and Sessions Judge of Bokaro.
• A total of 25 posts of judges are sanctioned in Jharkhand High Court, whereas at present 20 judges including Chief Justice Dr. Ravi Ranjan are working in Jharkhand High Court.

Village Industries Minister Inaugurated Handloom Training Center

Why in News

• On February 2, 2022, Chhattisgarh Public Health Engineering and Village Industries Minister Guru Rudra Kumar inaugurated Handloom Training Center at village Kodia under Dhamdha block of Durg district and distributed electric chalk to 80 beneficiaries.

Key Points

• A total of 20 people will be trained in this handloom center in each training session. The duration of the training will be of 4 months, in which each trainee weaver will be provided a monthly scholarship of Rs.500 and a loom of Rs.15,000 free of cost. In this way, an amount of Rs 6.8 lakh will be spent in each session.
• On this occasion, Minister Guru Rudrakumar also distributed 80 electric chalks worth Rs 13 lakh 20 thousand to potters beneficiaries. With this, potter beneficiaries will be able to easily discharge their lives by making terracotta, diyas, piggy banks and various types of clay artistic-decorative materials.
• This will encourage rural culture and the potters will be financially strong. Common citizens are also showing environmental awareness by using pottery and in future the trend of clay products will increase.
• This training center is an effective start and will not only enhance the art and skills, but will also increase the employability. Young men and women trained in this training center will be able to decide a better direction for their future.
• He said that the unemployment rate in the state is only 2.1 percent, to reduce it further in future, other positive steps will also be taken by the state government. More such training centers will be opened, so that the youth of Chhattisgarh can become self-reliant and provide employment to others.