Current Affair 1:

Archeological Significance of Benisagar

 

News:

Picked details about Benisagar from ASI website.

Benisagar is situated in West Singhbhum district of Jharkhand and very close to the border of Mayurbhanj district of Orissa.

Benisagar is named after one Benu Raja who perhaps excavated the large tank situated in the village named after the said tank. The measurement of the tank is approximately 300 mt. x 340 mt.

Colonel Tickel who visited the place in 1840 first reported it.

The excavations carried out by the Archaeological Survey of India towards southeast and eastern embankment of the tank has brought to light the two Panchayatana temple complex, secular structures, number of sculptural remains including the images of Surya, Bhairava, Lakulisha, Agni, Kubera etc. Apart from these, a stone seal having inscription "Priyangu Dheyam Chatuvidya(Chaturvidya)" that means a person by name Priyangu, well versed in four Vedas has also been discovered from the site.

The script of the inscription is Brahmi and the language is Sanskrit which may be datable on paleographically to the 5th century AD.

Based on the finds, it may be said that the site was inhabited from 5th century AD to 16th - 17th century AD.

While going through ASI website, also found some other site:

Sri Surya Pahar

Bhojpur.

Current Affair 2:

Plastic Overshoot Day

 

On July 28, 2023, the Earth saw its first Plastic Overshoot Day: The point at which the number of plastics exceeds the global waste management capacity.

In 2023 the volume of plastic waste will overshoot the volume that waste systems can manage on July 28th.

Overshoot Day for India, or the date when the amount of plastic waste outweighed the country’s ability to manage it, was January 6 2023.

Plastic Overshoot Day is determined based on a country’s Mismanaged Waste Index (MWI).  The imbalance between the volumes of plastic that are produced and used, as well as the world’s ability to manage those volumes when they become waste, is the root cause of plastic pollution. The gap in waste management capacity and plastic consumption is called MWI.

Current Affair 3:

The concept of Water neutrality

 

This Article is taken from recent NITI Aayog report.

First, understanding the concept of water footprint.

The water footprint of a product (good or service) is the total volume of fresh water used to produce the product, calculated across all stages of manufacturing process.

It is a water use indicator that considers both direct and indirect water use.

The volume of water consumed (evaporated) and/or polluted is referred to as water use.

A consumer's water footprint is the sum of his or her direct water use, such as water used at home or in the garden, and indirect water use, such as water used in production and supply chains of the goods and services consumed (books produced in a paper and pulp industry require water for basic functioning).

In the above regard, it is necessary to also consider domestic sewage. Domestic water use has blue water footprint and after utilization it will generate domestic sewage which is considered as Grey Water Footprint.

Water neutrality therefore implies that water footprint of any activity is reduced as far as is practically possible and ensuring that the negative socioeconomic and environmental externalities are reduced as much possible, with any remaining impacts fully compensated by investing in sustainable water usage and water conservation measures.

Current Affair 4:

National Statistical Commission

 

The Government of India through a resolution dated 1st June, 2005 set up the National Statistical Commission (NSC). The setting up of the NSC followed the decision of the Cabinet to accept the recommendations of the Rangarajan Commission, which reviewed the Indian Statistical System in 2001. The NSC was constituted with effect from 12th July 2006 with a mandate to evolve policies, priorities and standards in statistical matters.

The National Statistical Commission (NSC), consisting of a part-time Chairperson, four part-time Members and an ex-officio Member, has been functioning since 12th July 2006. The Chief Statistician of India (CSI) is the Secretary to the Commission.

 

<< Previous Next >>