Chalcolithic Culture

• The end of the Neolithic period saw the use of metals. Several cultures were based on the use of copper and stone implements.
• Such a culture is called Chalcolithic, which means the copper-stone phase.
• It marks the transition between the Stone Age and the metal age.
• The first metal age of India is called Chalcolithic Age which saw the use of copper along with stone. It was also called Stone-Copper Age.
• Along with the use of copper and stone these people also used low grade bronze to make tools and weapons.
• The people were mostly rural and lived near hills and rivers.
• The Chalcolithic culture corresponds to the farming communities, namely Kayatha, Ahar or Banas, Malwa, and Jorwe.
• In India it was mainly found in South-Eastern Rajasthan, Western part of Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, and in South and East India.

Chocolate-bordered flitter

• The new species of butterfly, now named the Chocolate-bordered Flitter, also carries the scientific name Zographetus dzonguensis, after Dzongu in north Sikkim, the place where it was discovered.
• It is a golden yellow butterfly with brown borders and spots. The physical appearance of the species differ slightly and the internal structures of the males also differ slightly.
• Its closest relatives are Zographetus pangi in Guangdong, and Zographetus hainanensis in Hainan, both in southeastern China, close to Hong Kong
• It is mentioned on the ‘Butterflies of India’ website which is maintained by the National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS), Bengaluru.

Pig Rupee

• King Edward VII died in May 1910 and was succeeded by King George V.
• Every coronation required a Grand Durbar in India, and the issue of new coins bearing the sovereign’s face.
• The king was crowned a second time in the 1911 Delhi Durbar, seated on a throne cast from melting thousands of silver coins.
• Sir Bertrand Mackennal, the famed sculptor and engraver was commissioned to design the new coins.
• Soon, 700,000 new coins – out of 9.4 million newly punched coins of rupee and fractional denominations – were circulated.
• The crowned and regally decorated bust of the King appeared on the obverse side, while the reverse side had a floral design.
• Unlike the simple floral pattern of its predecessors, the new reverse side design screamed British Empire.
• This design featured the three emblems of the United Kingdom: the Rose of England, the Thistle of Scotland, and the Shamrock of Ireland.
• The Lotus of India appeared on the top. The people soon noted something interesting on the obverse side.
• This side featuring the King’s bust depicted the “Order of the Indian Empire”, which was worn by the British sovereign.
• The golden collar chain of the Order was decorated with golden elephants, roses and peacocks.
• Due to poor engraving the coins’ “elephant” looked like a pig.
• The elephant’s body and legs were quite disproportionate. No tusks were discernable, and the short trunk resembled a pig’s snout.
• These coins soon earned the name “Pig Rupees” and became the object of much scorn and rage.
• The Muslim community in India was outraged as the pig is an unclean animal in the Islamic faith – a pig appearing in everyday legal tender seemed to be a direct insult to Muslims.

National Mission for Green India (GIM)

• The National Mission for a Green India or the commonly called Green India Mission (GIM) is one of the eight Missions under the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC).
• Its objective is to safeguard the biological resources of our nation and associated livelihoods against the peril of adverse climate change and to recognize the vital impact of forestry on ecological sustainability, biodiversity conservation and food-, water- and livelihood-security.
• It aims at protecting; restoring and enhancing India’s diminishing forest cover and responding to climate change through adaptation and mitigation measures.
• It envisages a holistic view of greening that extends beyond tree planting.
• GIM focuses on multiple ecosystem services such as biodiversity, water, biomass, preserving mangroves, wetlands, critical habitats etc. along with carbon sequestration.
• The Mission would strive for enhancing carbon sinks in sustainably managed forests and other ecosystems, adaptation of vulnerable species/ecosystems to the changing climate and adaptation of forest-dependent communities.
• To produce stronger plants which could withstand extreme climates and diseases is one of the objectives of Green Revolution.

Natural Farming

• Natural Farming is a chemical-free alias traditional farming method.
• It is considered as agroecology based diversified farming system which integrates crops, trees and livestock with functional biodiversity.
• In India, Natural farming is promoted as Bharatiya Prakritik Krishi Paddhati Programme (BPKP) under centrally sponsored scheme- Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY).
• BPKP is aimed at promoting traditional indigenous practices which reduces externally purchased inputs.
• It is largely based on on-farm biomass recycling with major stress on biomass mulching, use of on-farm cow dung-urine formulations; periodic soil aeration and exclusion of all synthetic chemical inputs.
• According to HLPE Report, natural farming will reduce dependency on purchased inputs and will help to ease smallholder farmers from credits burden.
• The BPKP programme has been adopted in State of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh and Kerala.
• It is considered as a cost- effective farming practices with scope for raising employment and rural development.