Daily Current Capsules - 26^th May 2020

Prelims Factoids
Katkari Tribe

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about Katkari tribe + about PVTGs + about Pradhan Mantri Van Dhan Yojana)
What's the NEWS

• A group of tribal youth from the Katkari community in Shahpur has come together to market Giloy, a herb used in treatment of viral fever, malaria as well as diabetes. The herb has a huge demand from pharmaceutical companies.
• A team of Katkari (कातकरी) community, started facilitating various works of Katkari tribals at revenue offices in his native place
•  Katkari is one of the 75 Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups, as per the classification by Ministry of Home Affairs.

Know! more about Katkari tribes

• The Katkari are an Indian Tribe mostly belonging to the state of Maharashtra.
• They have been categorised as a Scheduled tribe.
• They are bilingual, speaking the Katkari language, a dialect of the Marathi-Konkani languages, with each other; they speak Marathi with the Marathi speakers
• In Maharashtra the Katkari have been designated a Particularly vulnerable tribal group (PVTG), along with two other groups included in this sub-category: the Madia Gond and the Kolam.

Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs)

• There are certain tribal communities who use a pre-agricultural level of technology, face stagnant or declining population growth, and are equipped with only an extremely low level of literacy and a subsistence level of economy.
• 75 tribal groups have been categorized categorized by Ministry of Home Affairs as Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTG)s. PVTGs reside in 18 States and UT of A&N Islands.
• The Ministry of Tribal Affairs implements the Scheme of "Development of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs)" exclusively for them .
• Under the scheme, Conservation-cum-Development (CCD)/Annual Plans are to be prepared by each State/UT for their PVTGs based on their need assessment, which are then appraised and approved by the Project Appraisal Committee of the Ministry.
• Pradhan Mantri Van Dhan Yojana provides working capital for these SHGs. So they don't have to sell their produce in distress, moreover they can immediately pay tribals for produce they have picked up, this greatly helps tribals in having steady income

Pradhan Mantri Van Dhan Yojana (PMVDY)

• It is a retail marketing led value addition plan for Minor Forest Produce (MFP)
• It meant for forest-based tribes to optimize the tribal income, locally.
• MFP-based tribal groups / enterprises of around 300 members are formed for collection, value addition, packaging & marketing of Minor Forest Produces (MFPs).
• These tribal enterprises will be in the form of Van Dhan SHGs which will be a group of 15-20 members and such 15 SHG groups will further be federated into a larger group of Van Dhan Vikas Kendras (VDVKS) of around 300 members.
• TRIFED will support the VDVKs through providing them with model business plans, processing plans & tentative list of equipment for carrying out the value addition work of MFPs.

Prelims Factoids
Heatwave: IMD issues 'red alert' for several parts of north India

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about Heatwaves + IMD criteria to declare heatwaves and different alerts)
What's the NEWS

• With temperatures surpassing the 45 degrees Celsius-mark across several parts in north India, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a "red" warning for Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and Rajasthan for the next two days.

Know! about Heatwave

• A heatwave is declared when the maximum temperature is at least 40 degrees Celsius and the departure from normal temperature is 4.5 degrees Celsius to 6.4 degrees Celsius.
• For the plains, a heatwave is declared when the actual maximum temperature is 45 degrees Celsius and severe heatwave when it is 47 degrees Celsius or above.

• The IMD issues colour-coded warnings depending on the intensity of any weather system in ascending order - green, yellow, orange and red.

Western Disturbances

• A western disturbance is a cyclonic storm that originates in the Mediterranean and travels across Central Asia. When it comes in contact with the Himalayas, it brings rains to the hills and plains.

Prelims Factoids
ReSTART

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about ReSTART)
What's the NEWS

• To help micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) tide over the coronavirus-induced economic crisis, Andhra Pradesh government has announced a stimulus package ReSTART for such firms operating in the state.

Know! about ReSTART

• The Rs 1,110 crore relief package for the MSME sector includes release of Rs 905 crore outstanding incentives, waiver of fixed electricity charges, and soft loans to meet working capital needs.
• A preferential market access policy has also been announced which will ensure that 25 per cent of government purchases are from MSME firms for about 364 items.
• The move has come days after Centre announced a relief package including Rs 3 lakh crore collateral-free loans for the MSME sector.

Prelims Factoids
Western Ghats yield 3 new plant species
Relevance IN - Prelims ( about the three new plant species + about BSI)
What's the NEWS

• A team of scientists of the Botanical Survey of India (BSI) have reported the discovery of three new plant species from the evergreen forest patches of the southern end of the Western Ghats in Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

Know! about the three species
The three new species -
Eugenia sphaerocarpa

• It belongs to the Myrtaceae or Rose apple family
• It is growing in the Kakkayam area of the Malabar wildlife sanctuary in Kerala

Goniothalamus sericeus

• It belongs to the Annonaceae family of custard apple
• It has been found in the Kanyakumari wildlife sanctuary in Tamil Nadu.

Memecylon nervosum

• It belongs to the Melastomataceae (Kayamboo or Kaasavu in local parlance) family were discovered during a recent exploration
• It is also found in the Kanyakumari wildlife sanctuary in Tamil Nadu

Know! about BSI

• Botanical Survey of India (BSI), founded 13 February 1890, is Government of India Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change's organization for survey, research and conservation of plant resources, flora and endangered species of India, including by collecting and maintaining germplasm and gene bank of endangered, patent and vulnerable plant species.

Prelims Factoids
Ashwagandha / Kangra Tea
Relevance IN - Prelims ( about Kangra tea and terminologies related with these researches + about IHBT)
What's the NEWS

• After the well known herb Ashwgandha, now, Kangra tea has been marked as a potential coronavirus blocker.
• Chemicals in Kangra tea could be effective in boosting immunity as they can block coronavirus activity better than anti-HIV drugs according to scientists at the Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology (IHBT), based in Palampur, Himachal Pradesh.

ICMR to replace HCQ

• India's premier medical research institute, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) is considering replacing hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) with anti-HIV drugs to improve immunity and possibly reduce viral replication.

Know! about Ashwagandha

• Ashwagandha contains certain bio-actives that interact with SARS-CoV-2 virus in a way that prevents it from multiplying.
• Ashwagandha, which is also popular as an aphrodisiac, has a natural compound called withanone (Wi-N), with the potential to block Covid-19's enzyme responsible for replication.
• It is being alleged that Ashwagandha, if used along with an active ingredient of propolis called Caffeic Acid Phenethyl Ester (CAPE) can block the replication process of the virus.

Know! about Kangra Tea

• Kangra Tea is farmed at a geographically small area in the Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh.
• Kangra tea is a registered Geographical Indication (GI)
• The first flush of Kangra tea, grown at a height ranging from 900 metres to 1400 metres above the sea level in Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh, is known for quality, unique aroma and tinge of fruity flavor.
• A little milder than Darjeeling tea in terms of flavour, Kangra tea has more body and liquor.

Know! about IHBT

• Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology or IHBT established in 1983 is a constituent laboratory of Council of Scientific and Industrial Research.
• This institute located in Palampur, Kangra district, Himachal Pradesh is engaged in various advanced research aspects of Himalayan Bio-resources and modern biology.
• It has also been imparting Ph.D. in Biological and Chemical Sciences.
  
  

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