1.Reverse migration puts Centre’s ARYA scheme in the limelight
News:The massive reverse migration of people from urban areas to villages ever since lockdown was imposed due to COVID-19 has put focus on the Attracting and Retaining Youth in Agriculture(ARYA) scheme.
Facts:
- The ARYA Scheme was initiated by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research(ICAR).
- Objectives:
- To attract and empower the Youth in Rural Areas to take up various Agriculture, allied and service sector enterprises for sustainable income and gainful employment in selected districts.
- To enable the Farm Youth to establish network groups to take up resource and capital intensive activities like processing, value addition and marketing.
- To demonstrate functional linkage with different institutions and stakeholders for convergence of opportunities available under various schemes/programs for sustainable development of youth.
- Implementation: It is implemented by Krishi Vigyan Kendras which in turn involves several scientific institutions as technology partners.
- The scheme is presently being implemented in 100 districts in the country on an experimental basis.
2.NGMA to organise virtual tour to mark Ramkinkar Baij’s 115th birth anniversary
News: The Ministry of Culture’s National Gallery of Modern Art will organise a virtual tour to commemorate the 115th Birth Anniversary of Ramkinkar Baij.
Facts:
- Ramkinkar Baij(1906-1980) was an iconic sculptor, painter and a graphic artist.
- He studied at Kala Bhavana, the art school at Santiniketan and was under the guidance of Nandalal Bose.
- He along with Nandalal Bose and Benodebehari Mukherjee played a pivotal role in making Santiniketan one of the most important centres for modern art in pre-Independent India.
- He assimilated the idioms of the European modern visual language and yet was rooted in his own Indian ethos.He also introduced cement concrete casting as an alternative to expensive plaster.
- He integrated elements of Santhal tribal art and life into his own work and enhanced them by understanding of Western expressionism.
- Recognition:
- In 1970, the Government of India honoured him with the Padma Bhushan.
- In 1976, he was made a Fellow of the Lalit Kala Akademi.
3.Hubble Space Telescope releases image of NGC 3895
News:NASA’s Hubble telescope has released an image of a spiral galaxy called NGC 3895.
Facts:
- NGC 3895 was discovered by German-born British astronomer William Herschel in 1790.It was later observed by the Hubble Space Telescope.
- It is located at a distance of over 161 million light-years and is a part of Ursa Major.
- The image, colour and shape of the galaxy resembles a coffee.
Additional Facts:
- Galaxy: It is a huge collection of gas, dust and billions of stars and their solar systems all held together by gravity.
- Ursa Major: It is a constellation containing a group of stars commonly called the Big Dipper.They are the largest northern constellation and third largest constellation in the sky.
- Hubble Space Telescope: It is a space-borne observatory deployed in 1990 and is part of NASA’s “Great Observatories.It was built by NASA with contributions from the European Space Agency.
4.Glenmark to conduct ‘FAITH’ trials
Facts:FAITH trial is a randomised open study trial conducted by Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Ltd to test the combined efficacy of two antiviral drugs — Favipiravir and Umifenovir — as a potential COVID-19 treatment strategy.
5.Union minister inaugurates Chamba Tunnel under Chardham Pariyojana
News: Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways has inaugurated the Chamba Tunnel under Chardham Pariyojna.
Facts:
- Chamba Tunnel: It is a 440-metre long tunnel built by Border Roads Organisation(BRO) on Rishikesh-Dharasu road Highway(NH94) in Uttarakhand.
- The tunnel will facilitate all-weather connectivity to Chardham – Gangotri, Kedarnath, Yamunotri and Badrinath.
Chardham Pariyojna:
- The project involves developing and widening 900-km of national highways connecting the holy Hindu pilgrimage sites of Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri, and Yamunotri.
- The highway will be called Chardham Mahamarg(Chardham Highway) and the highway construction project will be called as Chardham Mahamarg Vikas Pariyojna (Chardham Highway Development Project).
