Fernandina Giant Tortoise
- It is a rare Giant Tortoise (Chelonoidis phantasticus).
- It was feared to be extinct but has been found in a remote part of the Galapagos island of Fernandina recently.
- The IUCN listed it as critically endangered & possibly extinct.
- Its habitat is largely dry brush land at lower elevations, but much of that habitat has been destroyed by extensive lava flows.
- Fernandina is the third largest Galapagos Island and features the La Cumbre volcano, one of the most active in the world.
Aerobics 150
- Physical inactivity is identified as the fourth leading risk factor for global mortality.
- It leads to prevalence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and the general health of the population.
- It is also estimated to be the main cause for approximately 21%-25% of breast and colon cancers and 27% of diabetes.
- So, WHO has prescribed 150 minutes of weekly physical activity to reduce the risk of hypertension, improve bone and functional health.
Padayani
- It is a ritual art and folk dance form performed at Bhadrakali temples in the state of Kerala.
- The word ‘Padai-ani’ means line-up or formation of the soldiers.
- The story behind Padaiyani is the re-enactment of the killing of Demon Darika and calming the Goddess Kali after it.
- The following are the essential parts of Padaiyani.
- Kolams - Folk deities drawn on green areca leaf sheaths with natural colours.
- Kolappattu - Songs in admiration of Bhagavathi,
- Kolam thullal - Rhythmic footsteps and dance.
- Vinodam - Satire, protesting social evils.
- Velichappadu - a comedy character, and
- Paradeshi - a character that bring news from around the world
- The dance is to appease the Goddess so that there is eradication of social evils and there is rain, good crop and prosperity.
States’ ranking on Startup initiatives
- Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) has released the 2nd edition of Startup Ranking framework for 2019.
- The framework aims to rank the States/UTs for establishing a robust ecosystem for supporting Startups.
- It also encourages States and UTs to identify, learn and replicate good practices from each other.
- It comprises of 7 pillars that evaluates States’/UTs efforts across
- institutional support
- simplifying regulations
- easing public procurement
- incubation support
- seed funding support
- venture funding support
- awareness and outreach related activities.
- The States and Union Territories will be evaluated based on the reforms submitted based on these accounts and ranking will be released soon.
Cervical Cancer in India
- A global analysis in The Lancet Oncology report estimated that India can eliminate cervical cancer by 2079.
- It is a cancer that develops in a woman's cervix i.e the lower part of the uterus in the human female reproductive system.
- It is nearly always caused by infection with human papillomavirus (HPV).
- It is the second most common cancer among women, after breast cancer.
- In India, according to 2012 estimates 1,22,844 women/year are diagnosed with cervical cancer and 67,477 die from the disease.
- So, India has planned to introduce human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine in the government program by 2020.
- Also India has started screening for cervical cancer in health and wellness centers under the Ayushman Bharat program.
- The Lancet estimates suggest that combining the vaccine and screening in all countries from 2020 onwards could prevent up to 13.4 million cases of cervical cancer within 50 years.
Source: PIB,The Hindu, The Indian Express
