Harekrushna Mahtab

Recently the Department of Posts has released a commemorative postage stamp to honour the 125th Birth Anniversary of Dr. Harekrushna Mahtab.

• Dr. Harekrushna Mahtab, fondly known as Utkal Keshari.
• He was born on November 21, 1899, in Agarpara village, Bhadrak district, Odisha.
• He was a multifaceted leader in Indian history, known as a freedom fighter, politician, historian, writer, social reformer and journalist.
• He was deeply influenced by figures like Swami Vivekananda, Ramkrishna Paramhansa and Mahatma Gandhi.
• He joined the Indian National Congress (INC) during the Non-Cooperation Movement and led the salt satyagraha in Odisha.
• He was the first Chief Minister of Odisha. (Statement  2 is incorrect)
• His contribution as Chief Minister include:
  • Focusing on uniting Odia-speaking princely states,
  • Relocating the state capital to Bhubaneswar and
  • Spearheading development projects like the Hirakud Dam and Rourkela Steel Plant.
• He served as the Union minister for commerce and industry and was elected to the Lok Sabha unopposed in 1962.
• He was also a significant literary figure, writing extensively in both Odia and English and winning accolades for his work
• The historical account 'History of Orissa' was one of his significant contribution and won the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1983 for 'Gaon Majlis'.

Viksit Bharat Initiative for Student Innovation and Outreach Network (VISION) Portal

• Viksit Bharat Initiative for Student Innovation and Outreach Network (VISION) Portal aims to nurture education, skill development and innovation among underprivileged children.
• It aids in underprivileged youngsters helps democratise Start-Up skills.
• Initiatives like VISION are integral to realising the country’s aspirations under Vision India 2047, which aims to position India as a global leader in technology, education, and economic growth.
• The portal bridges gaps between urban and rural India.

Rinderpest

• Rinderpest is also known as cattle plague, is a contagious viral disease affecting cloven-hoofed animals (mainly cattle and buffalo).
• In 2011, rinderpest became the second disease to be declared officially eradicated, following eradication of the human disease smallpox in 1980.

Cloven-hoofed animals are mammals with two toes on each foot and their hooves are split into two separate parts.

• Rinderpest is the first animal disease to have been entirely eradicated in the history of humankind.
• Rinderpest is caused by a virus of the Paramyxoviridae family, genus Morbillivirus.
• Many species of wild and domestic cloven-hoofed animals (including sheep and goats) show only mild symptoms of the disease when infected.
• The mortality rates can reach up to 100% in highly susceptible herds for cattle and buffalo when they are affected by the disease.
• Rinderpest historically occurred in Europe, Africa and Asia.
• The Americas and Oceania never faced rinderpest epizootics.
• Rinderpest is spread by effective contact between animals carrying the virus and susceptible animals.
• The virus is found in nasal secretions a few days before any clinical signs appear.
• Other than cattle and buffalo, rinderpest can infect zebus, water buffaloes, African buffaloes, eland, kudu, wildebeest, various antelopes, bush-pigs, warthogs, giraffes, sheep and goats.
• Some wild animals can carry the virus without showing signs of disease and in a few cases have made contact with domestic animal populations, leading to (re)introduction of the disease.
• There is no public health risk, since rinderpest does not affect people. (Statement 3 is incorrect)

Indian Peafowl (Pavo cristatus)

• Indian peafowl are a species in a group of birds called pheasants.
• The males are called peacocks, while the females are called peahens. Together, they are peafowl.
• Pheasants are large, brightly coloured birds with rounded bodies and long tails that are native to Eurasia but can be found all over the world.
• Peafowl are among the largest of all birds that fly. (Ostriches, emus, and other such birds are bigger, but cannot fly.)
• Peahens – Are more drab than their male counterparts, with mostly brown on their back with a white belly.
• Females don't have long tail feathers, but they do have a crest on their head and green neck feathers.
• Protection – It is listed under Schedule-I of the Wildlife Protection (Amendment) Act, 2022.
• It is accorded “least concern status” under the red list of International Union for Conservation of Nature.
• Range – Indian peafowl are native to India and Sri Lanka, in South Asia. (Statement 3 is incorrect)
• They've been introduced to other countries, usually as exhibits in parks, zoos and nature canters or as domestic pets.

Indian Arrival Monument

Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently visited the Indian Arrival Monument at Monument Gardens in Georgetown, Guyana.

• Indian Arrival Monument is a replica of the first ship which arrived in Guyana in 1838 bringing indentured migrants from India.
• It was gifted by India to the people of Guyana in 1991.
• Prime Minister Modi also paid homage to Mahatma Gandhi at his statue in the historic Promenade Gardens in Georgetown, Guyana.
• The statue was installed in commemoration of Gandhiji’s 100th birth anniversary in 1969.