Daily Current Capsules
03rd November 2022

The International Day for Biosphere Reserves - 3rd November

What's the NEWS

• November 3 will be the first ‘The International Day for Biosphere Reserves', to be celebrated beginning 2022.
• An event showcasing the contribution of the biosphere reserves to sustainable development will be organised at UNESCO Headquarters in collaboration with all the regions of the World Network of Biosphere Reserves.

Know! about Biosphere Reserves

• Biosphere Reserve (BR) is an international designation by UNESCO for representative parts of natural and cultural landscapes extending over large area of terrestrial or coastal/marine ecosystems or a combination thereof.
• They are sites for testing interdisciplinary approaches to understanding and managing changes and interactions between social and ecological systems, including conflict prevention and management of biodiversity.
• Biosphere reserves are nominated by national governments and remain under the sovereign jurisdiction of the states where they are located.

World Network of Biosphere Reserves

• The World Network of Biosphere Reserves (WNBR) was formed in 1971, as a backbone for biodiversity conservation, ecosystem restoration, and living in harmony with nature.
• The World Network of Biosphere Reserves of the MAB Programme consists of a dynamic and interactive network of sites of excellence.
• The World Network of Biosphere Reserves promotes North-South and South-South collaboration and represents a unique tool for international co-operation through sharing knowledge, exchanging experiences, building capacity and promoting best practices.
• There are now 738 properties in 134 countries, including 12 in India, four in Sri Lanka, and three in the Maldives.

Biosphere reserves in India

• There are 18 Biosphere reserves in India as of 2022, of which 12 are also part of the UNESCO MAB Programme.
• In India, the first biosphere reserve was designated by UNESCO in 2000, namely, the blue mountains of the Nilgiris stretching over Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala.

List Of Biosphere Reserves In India

Biosphere Reserves that are part of MAB

1. Nilgiri, Tamil Nadu-Kerala
2. Gulf of Mannar, Tamil Nadu
3. Sundarban, West Bengal
4. Nanda Devi, Uttrakhand
5. Nokrek, Meghalaya
6. Pachmarhi, Madhya Pradesh
7. Similipal, Odisha
8. Achanakmar-Amarkantak, Madhya Pradesh-Chhattisgarh
9. Great Nicobar, Andaman & Nicobar Island
10. Agasthyamala, Karnataka-Tamil Nadu-Kerala
11. Khangchendzonga, Sikkim
12. Panna, Madhya Pradesh

EdCIL (India) Limited

What's the NEWS

• EdCIL (India) Limited, a Mini Ratna Category-I CPSE of the Ministry of Education, Government of India, paid a dividend of Rs 16 Crore for the year 2021-22.
• EdCIL (India) Limited or simply EdCIL (earlier known as Educational Consultants India Limited) is a Public Sector Undertaking in India under the administrative control of the Ministry of Education, India.
• It is a Miniratna-I category company.

Know! about EdCIL

• EdCIL offers management and consultancy services in all areas of education and human resource development, both within India and overseas.
• EdCIL has been primarily working in the domain of online assessment, educational infrastructure & procurement, digital education, and preparation of Detailed Project Report (DPR) for educational institutions.
• It has laid down blueprints for majority of eminent engineering and management institutions of India namely IITs, IIMs, and IISERs.
• The Government of India has designated EdCIL to implement Study in India educational campaign.
• The Study in India program aims to make India a preferred destination for higher education.
• EdCIL has worked for providing consultancy to Asian Development Bank (ADB).
• Previously, it had completed projects in various countries including Tanzania, Zanzibar, Rwanda and Ghana.
• It has commissioned projects for skill development and education quality improvement in India under supervision of the World Bank.
• Since 2018, EdCIL has been executing a smart classroom project in the Republic of Mauritius for primary schools

Donyi Polo Airport, Itanagar

What's the NEWS

• The Union Cabinet has recently approved the naming of Hollongi Greenfield Airport in Itanagar of Arunachal Pradesh as "Donyi Polo Airport, Itanagar".
• With a 2,300 metre runway, the greenfield airport is the first in Arunachal Pradesh to have the capacity to land big aircraft.
• The Hollongi airport is the state's third after Pasighat and Tezu airports and only airport in the capital city.
• The central government had earlier accorded its approval for setting up of the "greenfield airport" under the `Capital Connectivity Scheme` to build up fixed wing air connectivity facility to the state capital.
• The Donyi Polo airport in Itanagar is northeast India`s 16th airport.

Gangetic Dolphin

What's the NEWS

• According to Uttar Pradesh Government, Dolphins have started coming back to the Ganga river with improvement in the quality of its water through the Namami Gange programme

Know! about the Gangetic Dolphin

• The Gangetic Dolphin is a fresh-water species, and one of the few river dolphins found in the world.
• It inhabits the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna and Karnaphuli-Sangu river systems of Nepal, India, and Bangladesh.
• Common Names:Blind dolphin, Ganges dolphin, Ganges susu, hihu, side-swimming dolphin, South Asian River Dolphin
• Scientific name:Platanista gangetica
• The Gangetic Dolphin has been recognized as India's National Aquatic Animal and is the official animal of the Indian city of Guwahati.
• It feeds majorly on fishes and is are usually found in counter current systems of the main river channel.
• Its eyes lack lens, and as a result, this species is also referred to as the "blind dolphin".
• They have a highly developed bio sonar system that facilitates them to hunt for fish even in murky waters.
• Being a mammal, the Ganges River dolphin cannot breathe in the water and must surface every 30-120 seconds.
• Because of the sound it produces when breathing, the animal is popularly referred to as the 'Susu'.
• The population of the Ganges dolphin is estimated to be a few hundred.
• IUCN Status: Endangered
• It is placed in Schedule-I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act
• It is listed on CITES Appendix I, which lists species that are the most endangered among CITES-listed animals and plants

Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary

• It is located in Bhagalpur District of Bihar, India.
• The sanctuary is a 60 kilometers stretch of the Ganges River from Sultanganj to Kahalgaon in Bhagalpur district. notified as Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary in 1991, it is the protected area for the endangered Gangetic dolphins in Asia.
• Once found in abundance, only a few hundred remain, of which half are found here.

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