Mahamastakabhisheka

Abisheka to 42-ft tall monolithic statue of Lord Bahubali at Karkala in Udupi district

statue is 582 years old and was installed by the ruler Veera Pandya of the Bhairava dynasty in
1432.
Soil Health Card Scheme

Aim: To improve the health of soil in agricultural areas across the country, to boost productivity and
bring about increased prosperity.

Deteriorating soil health has been a cause of concern and that has been leading to sub optimal
utilization of farming resources.

Imbalanced use of fertilisers, low addition of organic matter and non-replacement of depleted micro
and secondary nutrients over the years, has resulted in nutrient deficiencies and decrease in soil
fertility in some parts of the country

Soil health needs to be assessed at regular intervals so as to ensure that farmers apply the required
nutrients while taking advantages of the nutrients already present in the soil.

Government has launched a scheme to provide every farmer a Soil Health Card in a Mission mode.

The card will carry crop wise recommendations of nutrients/fertilizers required for farms, making it
possible for farmers to improve productivity by using appropriate inputs.

Central Government provides assistance to State Governments for setting up Soil Testing Laboratories
for issuing Soil Health Cards to farmers.

A Soil Health Card is used to assess the current status of soil health and, when used over time, to
determine changes in soil health that are affected by land management.

A Soil Health Card displays soil health indicators and associated descriptive terms.

The indicators are typically based on farmers' practical experience and knowledge of local natural
resources.

The card lists soil health indicators that can be assessed without the aid of technical or laboratory
equipment.
Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) Scheme

Government of India has introduced the Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao (BBBP) scheme for survival,
protection & education of the girl child.

It aims to address the issue of declining Child Sex Ratio (CSR) through a mass campaign across the
country targeted at changing societal mindsets & creating awareness about the criticality of the issue.

The Scheme will have focussed intervention & multi-sectoral action in 100 districts with low Child Sex
Ratio.

It is a joint initiative of
1. Ministry of Women and Child Development,
2. Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and
3. Ministry of Human Resource Development.
The Sectoral interventions under the programme include the following
Ministry of WCD

Promote registration of pregnancies in first trimester in Anganwadi Centres (AWCs);

Community Mobilization & Sensitization;

Involvement of Gender Champions etc..
Ministry of Health & Family Welfare

Monitor implementation of Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCP&DT)Act, 1994;

Increased institutional deliveries;

Registration of births etc..
Ministry of Human Resource Development

Universal enrolment of girls;

Decreased drop-out rate;

Girl Child friendly standards in schools;

Strict implementation of Right to Education (RTE);

Construction of Functional Toilets for girls.
Prithvi (missile)

surface-to-surface short-range ballistic missile (SRBM)

developed by DRDO

under the Integrated Guided Missile Development Program

It is deployed by India's Strategic Forces Command.

The Government of India launched the Integrated Guided Missile Development Program in 1983 to
achieve self-sufficiency in the development and production of wide range of Ballistic Missiles, Surface
to Air Missiles etc.

Prithvi was the first missile to be developed under the Program.

Variants make use of either liquid or both liquid and solid fuels.

Developed as a battlefield missile, it could carry a nuclear warhead in its role as a tactical nuclear
weapon.
Variants
Variant
Payload in Kg
Range in Km
Operated by
No of Stages
Prithvi I (SS-150)
1000
150
Indian Army
Single (Liquid fuel)
Prithvi II (SS-250)
500-1000
350
Indian Air Force
Single (Liquid fuel)
Prithvi III (SS-350)
1000
350
Indian Navy
Two (Solid First stage;
OR Dhanush
500
600
250
750
Prahar
Liquid Second stage)
Improved version to replace Prithvi I
Ballistic missile

A ballistic missile is a missile (rocket) that follows a ballistic flightpath with the objective of delivering
one or more warheads to a predetermined target.

A ballistic missile is only guided during relatively brief periods of flight, and its trajectory is largely
unpowered and governed by gravity (and air resistance if in the atmosphere).

This contrasts to a cruise missile which is aerodynamically guided in powered flight.

Long range intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) are launched at a steep, sub-orbital flight
trajectory and spend most of their flight out of the atmosphere.

Shorter range ballistic missiles stay within the Earth's atmosphere.
1. The missile launches out of its silo by firing its 1st-stage boost motor (A).
2. About 60 seconds after launch, the 1st stage drops off and the 2nd-stage motor (B) ignites. The
missile shroud (E) is ejected.
3. About 120 seconds after launch, the 3rd-stage motor (C) ignites and separates from the 2nd stage.
4. About 180 seconds after launch, 3rd-stage thrust terminates and the Post-Boost Vehicle (D)
separates from the rocket.
5. The Post-Boost Vehicle maneuvers itself and prepares for re-entry vehicle (RV) deployment.
6. The RVs, as well as decoys and chaff, are deployed.
7. The RVs (now armed) and chaff re-enter the atmosphere at high speeds.
8. The nuclear warheads detonate.
Strategic Forces Command

The Indian Strategic Forces Command (SFC), sometimes called Strategic Nuclear Command, forms
part of India's Nuclear Command Authority (NCA).

It is responsible for the management and administration of the country's tactical and strategic
nuclear weapons stockpile.

It was created in 2003 by Vajpayee Government
Mutilation, killing of Tanzanian boy with albinism strongly condemned

Attacks against people with albinism, which are often motivated by the use of body parts for ritual
purposes, have claimed the lives of at least 75 people in Tanzania since 2000
Albinism

congenital disorder characterized by the complete or partial absence of pigment in the skin, hair and
eyes

albinism is considered to be a hereditary condition characterised by the absence of pigment in the
eyes, skin, hair, scales, feathers or cuticle

Albinism is associated with a number of vision defects

Lack of skin pigmentation makes for more susceptibility to sunburn and skin cancers.