Today’s Current Affairs Update: “ProxyGyan IAS Express”
Date: 04 July 2024.
1. swami Vivekananda
2. Great Indian Bustard
3. Zinc - Mineral
4. Tale Valley Wildlife Sanctuary
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Personality in news : Swami Vivekananda
News: Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid homage to Swami Vivekananda on his death. anniversary today (July 4).
• Early Life:
o. Swami Vivekananda was born on January 12, 1863, in Kolkata, West Bengal.
• His full name was Narendranath Datta.
• Influence:
• He was the chief disciple of the Indian mystic Ramakrishna Paramhans.
• Swami Vivekananda was deeply interested in spiritualism and Vedanta.
• He was proud to be a Hindu because he believed that Hinduism was the only religion that fully recognized that all religions are expressions of the same truth and that the differences between them are merely circumstantial.
• Notable Achievements:
• Swami Vivekananda became widely known for his participation in the 1893 Parliament of Religions in Chicago, where he delivered his famous speech beginning with "Sisters and brothers of America..
o. In 1899, he established Belur Math, where he later died in 1902.
• He also founded the Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission in 1897 to serve the poor and spread the Vedanta philosophy.
•. Swami Vivekananda popularized Indian culture globally.
• Legacy:
• India observes National Youth Day on his birthday, January 12, to honor his contributions and legacy.
• Swami Vivekananda died on July 4, 1902, at the age of 39.
2. Species in news : Great Indian Bustard
• News: Only around 140 Great Indian Bustards are left in India today.
• Definition: The Great Indian Bustard is a large bird found only in India.
• Scientific Name: Ardeotis nigriceps
• Habitat:
• The Great Indian Bustard is an agro-grassland bird endemic to the Indian Subcontinent.
• Locations: Found in Rajasthan (Desert National Park), Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka,Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh in India, as well as parts of Pakistan.
• Preferred Environment: Inhabit dry grasslands and scrublands
• Characteristics:
• Size and Weight: It is one of the heaviest flying birds, weighing up to 15 kg (33 pounds).
• Height: Tall birds with long legs and long necks; the tallest individuals may stand up to 1.2 meters (4 feet) high.
• Sexual Dimorphism: Males and females are roughly the same size but can be distinguished by the color of their feathers.
• Diet: Omnivorous.
• Importance: The Great Indian Bustard is a key indicator species of the grassland habitat, which means its survival also signals the health of grassland habitats.
• Conservation Status:
• IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered species
• CITES: Listed in Appendix I
Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972: Listed under Schedule I.
3. Zinc - Mineral and it's Uses:
• News: Researchers in France have discovered that zinc plays a crucial role in the health of legume crops.
• Physical Properties: Zinc is a silvery blue-grey metal with a relatively low melting and boiling point.
• Occurrence:
• Zinc and lead often occur together in ores, along with other metals such as silver and cadmium.
• It is the fourth most widely used metal in the world, after steel, aluminum, and copper.
• Reserves in India:
• India is self-sufficient in zinc production.
• In India, the largest reserves of lead-zinc ore are in Rajasthan, followed by Andhra Pradesh (3.03%), Madhya Pradesh (1.98%), and Bihar.
• Global Reserves
• Australia: Holds 27% of the world's zinc reserves.
• China: Accounts for 18%.
• Russia & Mexico: Each hold 9%.
4. Tale Valley Wildlife Sanctuary
• News: A team of researchers from the Zoological Survey of India recorded the forest-dwelling frog from the Talle Wildlife Sanctuary.
• Location: Talley Valley Wildlife Sanctuary is a wildlife sanctuary in Lower Subansiri District, Arunachal Pradesh, India.
• Landscape: The sanctuary lies roughly in between the Subansiri, Sipu and Pange rivers.
• Fauna: Indian elephant, Flying squirrel, Giant squirrel, Himalayan black bear, Indian porcupine, Indian pangolin, Jungle cat, Leopard, Leopard cat, Clouded leopard, Palm civet, Wild boar, Slow loris, Tiger, Wild dog, Other, Wild buffalo, Gaur among others.
• Flora: Alpine forests like silver fir trees, ferns, orchids, bamboo, and rhododendron.
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