Current Affairs 26th December 2023 for UPSC Prelims Exam

Valmiki Tiger Reserve

Context: Reduced human activity, especially curbing illegal mining, fueled a surge in tiger numbers at Bihar’s Valmiki Tiger Reserve.

About Valmiki Tiger Reserve

• Location: West Champaran District, Bihar.
• Significance: It is the only tiger reserve in Bihar and represents the easternmost limit of the Himalayan Terai forests in India.
• Geographical Zone: The reserve is part of the Gangetic Plains bio-geographic zone.
• Terrain: The forest is a mix of bhabar and terai tracts.
• Establishment: Established in 1994
• International Border: Shares a border with Nepal’s Chitwan National Park.
• Rivers: The reserve is bisected by the Gandak and Masan Rivers.
  • Gandak River borders the sanctuary on the west.

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Black Tigers

Context: As per the 2022 All India Tiger Estimation cycle, 16 tigers were recorded at Similipal Tiger Reserve, out of which 10 were melanistic tigers.

About Black Tigers

• Black Tigers are a rare colour variant of the Bengal tiger, also known as Melanistic Royal Bengal Tigers.
• The black tiger, an extremely rare variant with excess melanin, appears darker than typical tigers due to its golden colour interspersed with more black stripes, a condition known as pseudo-melanism caused by a recessive (Transmembrane Aminopeptidase Q (Taqpep)) gene.
• IUCN Conservation Status: Endangered

Palna Scheme

Context: The Ministry of Women and Child Development of the Union Government is planning to set up 17,000 creches at Anganwadi Centres nationwide under the Palna Scheme.

About Palna Scheme

• Ministry: Ministry of Women and Child Development,
• Type: Centrally Sponsored Scheme
• Earlier Name: National Creche Scheme.
• Goal: To provide high-quality daycare facilities or creches for children of working women, thereby enhancing the nutrition and health status of these children.
• Part Of: Samarthya, under the larger umbrella of Mission Shakti.
• The scheme offers two types of creches:
  • Anganwadi-cum-Crèches, which integrate crèche facilities with existing Anganwadi services, aiming to comprehensively cater to the needs of both mothers and children in a single location.
  • Stand-alone Creches, which are continuations of the crèches that operated under the former National Creche Scheme.
• Targets: Children aged 6 months to 6 years, belonging to working women in both rural and urban settings, who are employed for at least 15 days per month or six months per year.

Pompeii’s ancient art

Context: A new project inside the Pompeii archaeological site is reviving ancient textile dyeing techniques to show another side of daily life before the city was destroyed by a volcano in A.D. 79.

Pompeii Archaeological Site Overview

• Pompeii, an ancient Roman city near Naples, Italy, was engulfed in volcanic ash from Mount Vesuvius’s eruption in A.D. 79.
• Archaeological digs have uncovered buildings, artefacts, and human remains, all remarkably preserved by the eruption.
• Recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

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