Rare sculpture of Rudrama Devi’s ‘last battle’ discovered

• A sculptural slab carved in granite that has a life-size portrait of Kakatiya warrior queen Rudrama Devi was discovered by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
• It was discovered in the sanctum sanctorum of Trikuta temple at Bekkallu village in Siddipet district of Telegana.
• The discovery has unraveled the mystery of her death who was killed during a war by her own subordinate chief kayastha king Ambadeva somewhere near Warangal.
• The portrait sculpture is a first of its kind that displays a fierce fighting scene between Rudrama Devi and Ambadeva.
• The Kakatiya dynasty was a South Indian dynasty whose capital was Orugallu, now known as Warangal in the State of Telegana.
• Rudrama devi was one of the very few women to rule as monarchs in India and promoted a male image in order to do so.

Transformation of Aspirational Districts Programme

• ‘Transformation of Aspirational Districts’ was launched in January with an aim to quickly and effectively transform some of the most underdeveloped districts in the country.
• Small Industries Development Bank of India (Sidbi) has charted a plan to promote micro enterprises in 115 aspirational districts across the country to contribute in their development. The bank has tied up with Common Service Centre (CSC) to meet this objective.
• The 115 districts, including 35 affected by left-wing extremism, were selected on parameters like deprivation (extent of landless households), health & nutrition (institutional delivery, stunting of children and wasting in children), education (elementary dropout rate and adverse pupil-teacher ratio) and infrastructure (un-electrified homes, lack of toilets, villages not connected by road and lack of drinking water).

POCSO e-Box

• Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO), e-Box, is an online complaint management system for easy and direct reporting of sexual offences against children and timely action against the offenders under the POCSO Act, 2012.
• E-Box is very simple to operate and will help to maintain the confidentiality of the complaint.
• Being concerned about offences against children, the Government enacted POCSO Act, 2012 to protect them from offences of sexual assault, sexual harassment and pornography, while safeguarding the interest of the child at every stage of the judicial process.
  • This is achieved by incorporating child friendly mechanisms for reporting, recording of evidence, investigation and speedy trial of offences through designated Special Courts.
  • Any human being up to the age of 18 years is recognised as a child under the POCSO Act.

India Mobile Congress (IMC)

• India Mobile Congress will be conducted this year end, at New Delhi.
• India Mobile Congress is one of the biggest Mobile, Internet and Technology events in Asia.
• This year’s theme “NEW DIGITAL HORIZONS: Connect. Create. Innovate.”
• It is organized by Department of Telecommunications, Government of India and Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI).
• India Mobile Congress 2018 will bring together the leading players from across the mobile ecosystem, as well as adjacent industry sectors such as automotive and consumer electronics.
• The first edition of India Mobile Congress held in September 2017.
• It aims at building ideas, forging lasting Industry relationships, showcasing leading-edge mobile technology and product trends, and providing sectoral insights and impactful solution.
• The platform will witness participation from partner countries from the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) and BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) region.

Elusor macrurus

• Elusor macrurus is popularly known as Mary River’s turtle.
• It was added to the “EDGE of Existence” list of endangered species compiled by the Zoological Society of London (ZSL).
• It is a native of Queensland of Australia and lives only in the Mary River from which it takes its name.
• They have specialized organs in their cloaca which process oxygen from the surrounding water.
• The turtle’s most distinguishing feature is the bright green, spiky Mohawks sprouting on the heads of some.
• However they are not hair but algae that cover them as they are underwater for a long period of time.
• According to IUCN Red List they are endangered species.

Totoaba macdonaldi

• The totoaba or totuava is a marine fish.
• This species is endemic to the Eastern Pacific, and is only found in the central and northern Gulf of California, Mexico.
• The totoaba is caught for its swim bladders which are smuggled to China for sale on the black market as traditional medicine and a delicacy. 
• The swim bladders are called as Maws and dubbed as aquatic cocaine.
• It is listed as critically endangered according to IUCN red list.
• Mexican fishermen are using huge nets, called gill nets, to catch totoaba and those nets accidentally kill the vaquita porpoises.
• Vaquita Known as the “panda of the sea” for the distinctive black circles around its eyes which faces extinction is seriously impacted.
•  Vaquita is 30 in total in this area which is also a critically endangered species.

India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway

• Work on the 1,000 km-long India-Myanmar-Thailand (IMT) Trilateral Highway officially started with the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) signing an agreement with a joint-venture (JV) between Punj Lloyd and Varaha Infra to upgrade the Yagyi-Kalewa section of the India-Myanmar Friendship Road in Myanmar. 
• The project has been funded by Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India and would be executed on EPC mode .
• This is NHAI’s first international project agreement.
• The 1,000 km India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway will run from Moreh in Manipur to Mae Sot in Thailand via Myanmar. The highway will facilitate easy movement of goods and people among the three countries.

Aihole

• Aihole is western chalukyan site that is situated in Karnataka.
• It was built between 450 and 650 C.E. that is situated on the banks of the river Malaprabha with the Meguti hill overlooking it.
• It was known in ancient India as Aryapur or Ayyavole and was probably the earliest capital of the Chalukyas.
• For two centuries it was at the centre of temple building.
• There are over a hundred temples in Aihole, all marking the shift from rock-cut temple architecture to a form where stone blocks are placed on top of one another.
• The oldest temple in Aihole is the Lad Khan temple.
• The Aihole Inscription is a great source for reconstructing the history of the period and it records the achievements of Pulakesi II, especially his victory against Harshavardhana, the ruler of Northern India.
• Monuments belonging to all the three religions –Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism are found here.
• Badami and Pattadakkal are other important chalukiyan sites in its vicinity.

Probiotic Yeast Strain

• Humans face phosphorus deficiency despite consuming phosphorus-rich food because of the inability of human body to absorb it.
• Scientists at National Chemical Laboratory, Pune, have identified a yeast strain that can improve absorption of phosphorus and make other vital minerals bioavailable.
• Phosphorus is one of the vital minerals for all living beings including plants.
• Livestock and humans exhibit deficiency of phosphorus and other minerals because humans and non-ruminant animals lack an enzyme called phytase that converts phytate into free phosphorus.
• NCL researchers have identified the yeast strain called Saccharomyces cerevisiae which can effectively dephytinize the phytate to free phosphorus and also possess the probiotic properties.
• Probiotics are live bacteria and yeasts that are good for your health, especially your digestive system.

Pollution and Alzheimer’s disease

• Children and young adults living in polluted megacities are at significantly increased risk of developing Alzheimer’s.
• The scientists found heightened levels of the two abnormal proteins in the brains of young urbanites with lifetime exposures to fine-particulate-matter pollution (PM2.5).
• Alzheimer’s is a irreversible, progressive, degenerative brain ailment that affects memory, behavior and thinking.
• It is the most common form of dementia in the elderly and accounts for 60 to 80 per cent of dementia cases.
• India Ageing Report 2017 states that the elderly population is growing at a faster rate of 3% may up the burden of Alzheimer’s in India, as the disease primarily occurs in patients over the age of 65.
• This new finding of affecting the younger generation is a precaution to the Government, Policy Makers and General Public. 

Farm Distress

• According to a new study, giving direct income support (DIS) to farmers may be a better option than the price deficiency payment (PDP) scheme or higher minimum support price (MSP) to address farm distress.
• DIS is easier to implement, more transparent, equitable and crop-neutral.
• The study was not in favor of higher MSPs which are based on cost plus pricing as they distort market seriously.
• The study was based on working paper authored by economist at the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER).
• ICRIER is an autonomous, policy-oriented, not-for-profit, economic policy think tank.
• ICRIER’s office is located in the institutional complex of India Habitat Centre, New Delhi.

Festival of Baisakhi

• Festival of Baisakhi is usually celebrated on April 13, but once in every 36 years the festival is celebrated on April 14. This year the occasion will be commemorated on April 14. It marks the advent of Baisakhi, which is an auspicious day primarily for the Sikh community, and is also known as Vaisakhi, Khalsa Sirjana Diwas, or the birth of Khalsa.
• The word is derived from ‘Baisakh’, which is the second month of the Sikh calendar (Nanakshahi calendar). It signifies a new year of harvest for the community.
• The festival is primarily a thanksgiving day when farmers pay tribute to their deity for the harvest and pray for prosperity in future.
• Sikhs follow a tradition named Aawat Pauni on Vaisakhi. People gather to harvest wheat that grew in the winter. Drums are played and people recite Punjabi doha (couplet) to the tune while harvestin on Baisakhi day.
• Baisakhi also marks the birth of Khalsa, the collective body of all initiated Sikhs, also called the “Guru Panth”– the embodiment of the Guru. On March 30 in 1699, Guru Gobind Singh gathered his followers at his home in Anandpur Sahib, a city which is now home to several Gurdwaras. At this gathering, Khalsa was inaugurated.

AlterEgo

• AlterEgo is a silent-speech device developed by researchers at MIT.
• The device uses electrodes to read the neuromuscular signals from the user’s internal speech organs when they “say” words in their head.
• Our brains send tiny electrical signals to our speaking muscles, which AlterEgo’s sensors on the face and jaw detect.
• AlterEgo interprets ‘silent speaking’ and when necessary, sends feedback to the user via audio others can’t hear.
• It is tested by using it in controlling devices, solving math problems, assisting chess and go players, assisting memory by pulling up stored information.

iDex scheme

• Prime Minister launched the iDex, Innovation for Defense Excellence scheme in the DefExpo 2018.
• The scheme will set up innovation hubs particularly for the defense sector across the country.
• The scheme wishes to incubate ideas and provide support through infrastructure for defense related start-ups.
• During the DefExpo, in order to boost defense production in the country, the Prime Minister welcomed the move of establishing two defense industrial corridors in Tamil Nadu and Uttra Pradesh.
• Additional information is that Foreign Direct Investment in defense sector in India currently permits foreign companies to own 49% of Indian units.