• The Ministry of Tribal Affairs has sanctioned Rs.2.26 Crores for various activities pertaining to Medaram Jathara 2022.
• Medaram, a tiny village in Telangana's tribal heartland of Mulugu district, is getting ready to host the Sammakka-Sarakka jatara , billed as the country's biggest tribal fair, to commemorate a tribal revolt led by Sammakka and Saralamma, a mother-daughter duo, against levy of taxes on tribal people during drought conditions by the then Kakatiya rulers in the 12th century.

• Medaram Jatara is the second-largest fair of India, after the Kumbh Mela, celebrated by the second-largest Tribal Community of Telangana- the Koya tribe for four days.
• This year it is being celebrated from 16th-19th February, 2022.
• The activities for which funds have been sanctioned by the Union Tribal Affairs Ministry include promotion of Medaram, Tribal Culture and Heritage
• The Jathara was declared a State Festival in 1996.
• The Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Government of India, for the Jatharas held in the years 2018 and 2020, released 2.00 Cr in each year.
• The funds were utilised for branding of the Medaram Jathara
• The Ministry also sanctioned Rs.7.00 Cr in 2019-20 and Rs.5.00 Cr in 2021-22, under Article 271(1) for establishing infrastructure like multi-purpose buildings in and surroundings of Medaram for utilising those as community shelters during the Jathara period and as agriculture godowns in other seasons by local Tribals.
• Medaram Jathara is conducted in honour of the Goddesses Sammakka and Saralamma.
• It is celebrated once in two years in the month of "Magha" (February) on the full moon day.
• Several Scheduled Tribes of different villages assemble there, and lakhs of pilgrims visit the Mulugu District to celebrate the festival with full gusto.
• At present, the Jathara festival is biennially celebrated and organized by the Koyas in collaboration with the Tribal Welfare Department, Government of Telangana.
• The four days' Medaram Jathara is the most auspicious event for the lakhs of devotees who wait for two long years to behold such a rare occasion.

What's the NEWS

• A Joint Meeting was held between India (Department for Promotion of Industry & Internal Trade (DPIIT)) and Japan (Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI)) for annual review of progress under Japanese Industrial Townships (JITs) in India.
• DPIIT and the States presented the developed land and infrastructure readily available for Japanese investors in these townships.
• Japanese companies were invited for field visits to the JITs to attract investments.

• Government of India has announced various schemes to attract investments and improve the ease of doing business in India.
• The Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme announced for 14 sectors received numerous applications.
• Japanese companies have also applied for these PLI schemes and have received approval.
• The National Single Window System - an initiative by the Government was also showcased to the Japan side.
• This one-stop digital platform -currently has 20 Central Ministries and 14 states/UTs that have been onboarded.
• The National Infrastructure Pipeline (NIP) encapsulates infrastructure development across key sectors (such as energy, railways, roads, irrigation etc.) in India with investments of US$ 1.4 trillion planned between 2019 and 2025.

• The concluding ceremony of First Ladakh Ice and Snow-Sculpture Workshop 2022 was held on February 11.
• It was organised by Kangsing Snow and Ice Sculpture Association in association with Ladakh Police at Sangtakchan near Tsogsti on the way to Chilling.

• The Ladakh Administration taking a decision to start the commercial plantation of "Leh Berry" from April-May this year.
• The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) under the aegis of Union Ministry of Science & Technology is promoting "Leh Berry" which is an exclusive food product of the cold desert and also a means of wide-ranging entrepreneurship as well as self-livelihood.
• CSIR will also develop harvesting machinery to be used by local farmers and self-help groups, as currently only 10% of berry is being extracted from the wild sea buckthorn plant.
• Commercial cultivation of three medicinal plants will begin this spring season at the height of above 15,000 feet.
• This also includes "Sanjeevni Booty", locally known as "Sola" which has a very high life saving and therapeutic properties.

• Department of Atomic Energy will set up facilities in the UT for Gamma Irradiation Technology for preservation/shelf life extension of fruits and vegetables.
• High level team of senior scientists from CSIR will visit Ladakh this summer to evaluate the Zinc Fortification project for Pashmina Goats, Sheep and Yak as Ladakh is mainly an Animal-based economy.
• CSIR is also contemplating to start a Geo-Thermal Energy Project for warming and cooling systems in a Zero-net energy programme by linking it with Solar Power.

• Popularly known as Leh berry or Chhermang or Cherma in Ladakh and Lauhul Spiti is a miracle 2-4 meter bush growing wild in high altitude areas of Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir
• Sea buckthorn has a rich history of use in treating numerous medical conditions.
• It has been called a "Wonder" plant in many Asian countries, including China, India, and Pakistan.
• The berries have been used for more than 2,000 years as a medicine and food additive in Europe, Russia, and Asia.
• Mythically believed to be the "Sanjivani Booti" from the Ramayana, Seabuckthorn berry found only in the snow-capped mystical hills of Leh - Ladakh where human feet rarely dare to step.
• The berry is a thorny shrub that contains a high amount of vitamin-C, Calcium along with Vitamin A, B1, B2, E and K.
• It also contains over 100 essential nutrients good for human growth process.
• Sea buckthorn ( Himalayan Berry) is the only fruit in the world which contains Omega 3, 6, 9 and rarest omega 7.
• The Defense Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has endorsed and recognizes the immense benefits of Sea Buckthorn.

• The Union government has filed a draft red herring prospectus with the stock market regulator for selling 5% of its shares in the Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) of India.

• A Draft Red Herring Prospectus (DRHP) is a document that is prepared to introduce a new business or product to a potential investor.
• This is not a final document for an investor, but rather a way of demonstrating value and providing investors with enough information for them to decide whether they want to invest in the company or not.
• The filing of the draft red herring prospectus (DRHP) with the Securities Exchange Board of India (SEBI), with all the critical information about LIC's business operations, is the first regulatory step towards the IPO.
• SEBI is required to vet the facts stated in the DRHP and recommend changes if required, before giving the share sale a green signal.
• The IPO is an 100% OFS [offer for sale] by the Government of India and entails no fresh issue of shares by LIC.
• The conclusion of the LIC's share sale through an initial public offer (IPO) by March 31 is critical for the government to achieve its disinvestment target for this year, even after it was pared down from Rs.1.75 lakh crore to Rs.78,000 crore.

• Meta's oversight board has suggested Facebook and Instagram to make strict doxxing rules. It urged Meta to consider doxxing as an offence which should prompt temporary account suspension.

• Doxxing is publishing and analysing others' personal information on the internet with a malicious intent that can reveal the person's real identity making them victims of harassments and cyber-attacks.
• The firm highlighted how doxxing is used to shame or punish people who would rather stay anonymous, because of their controversial beliefs or other types of non-mainstream activity.
• Doxxing can result in emotional distress, loss of employment and even physical harm or death.

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