About Birsa Munda:

• He was a folk hero and a tribal freedom fighter who played a pivotal role in the Indian independence movement, particularly in the tribal regions of British India.
• He belonged to the Munda tribe in the Chhotanagpur Plateau area. 
• He spearheaded an Indian tribal mass movement that arose in the Bihar and Jharkhand belts in the early 19th century under British colonisation.
• Munda rallied the tribals to fight against the forceful land grabbing carried out by the British government, which would turn the tribals into bonded labourers and force them to abject poverty.
• He influenced his people to realise the importance of owning their land and asserting their rights over it.
• Birsa encouraged the tribe to stick to their traditions and get back to their tribal roots.
• One of Birsa's notable contributions was the formation of the Munda Rebellion, also known as the Ulgulan, or the Tamar Revolt, in the late 19th century.
  • The rebellion was a response to the oppressive policies of the British administration, including the introduction of the Forest Laws, that restricted tribal access to their traditional lands, and the imposition of exorbitant taxes.
  • Birsa united various tribal communities under the banner of the Munda Raj and led a series of guerrilla warfare campaigns against the British forces.
  • Birsa Munda's leadership during the Munda Rebellion earned him the title of "Bhagwan" or "Birsa Bhagwan" among his followers.
• He often took inspiration from Munda traditions, Christianity, and Hinduism to guide his followers in rituals and prayers. 
• His struggle against exploitation and discrimination against tribals led to a big hit against the British government in the form of the Chotanagpur Tenancy Act being passed in 1908.
  • The act restricted the passing on of land from the tribal people to non-tribals.
• Birsa also played a crucial religious role among the Munda people.
  • He founded the faith of Birsait, a blend of animism and indigenous beliefs, which emphasized the worship of a single god.
  • He became their leader and was given the nickname, ‘Dharti Aba’ or the father of the earth.
• He died on June 9, 1900, at age 25. 
• In recognition of his impact on the national movement, the state of Jharkhand was created on his birth anniversary in 2000.
  • November 15, the birth anniversary of Birsa Munda, was declared ‘Janjatiya Gaurav Divas by the Central Government in 2021.

Q1: What is Chota Nagpur Plateau?

Known to be one of the most important industrial regions of India, the Chota Nagpur Plateau is a dissected plateau.Located in the north- eastern edge of the Indian peninsula, the Chota Nagpur Plateau covers much of the state of Jharkhand as well as adjacent parts of Odisha, West Bengal, Bihar and Chhattisgarh. Covering a total area of approximately 65,000 sq. km, the Chota Nagpur Plateau has the Indo-Gangetic Plain to the north and east of the plateau and the basin of the Mahanadi River lies to the south.

Source: Jharkhand Guv, CM pay homage to Birsa Munda on his death anniversary

About AIM – ICDK Water Challenge 4.0:

• The AIM – ICDK Water Challenge 4.0 is an initiative launched by the Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) under NITI Aayog to address critical water-related challenges through inventive solutions.
• The challenge is a collaborative effort with the Innovation Centre Denmark (ICDK) at the Royal Danish Embassy in India.

Objectives

• Address water challenges: To address critical water-related challenges through innovative solutions.
• Global participation: The selected teams from India will participate in the global Next Generation Digital Action program, engaging with young talents from leading universities and innovation hubs in nine countries (India, Denmark, Ghana, Kenya, Korea, Tanzania, South Africa, Ghana, Colombia, and Mexico).
• Focus on sustainability: The program emphasizes sustainability, digital solutions, inclusion, and universal design principles.
• Showcase innovations: Participants will be able to showcase their innovations at the Digital Tech Summit in Copenhagen from October 30th to 31st, 2024, funded by the Government of Denmark.

Two Tracks: The challenge invites entries under two tracks: one for students and the other for young entrepreneurs under the age of 35, including early-stage startups, researchers, and young innovators committed to driving positive environmental change.

Q1: What is Entrepreneurship?

Entrepreneurship refers to the process of identifying, creating, and pursuing opportunities to start new businesses or ventures. An entrepreneur is an individual who takes risks and initiates innovative ideas, products, or services intending to generate profit and make a positive impact on the economy and society.

Source: Atal Innovation Mission, NITI Aayog unveils AIM – ICDK Water Challenge 4.0 and Innovations For You – SDG Entrepreneurs of India

About Four-Horned Antelope:

• The four-horned antelope, also called Chousingha, is a small bovid antelope.
• They are the smallest antelopes found in Asia.
• Scientific Name: Tetracerus quadricornis
• Distribution:
  • It is endemic to India and Nepal.
  • In India, they range from the foothills of the Himalayas in the north to the Deccan Plateau in the south. 
• Habitat:
  • They mostly occur in open, dry, deciduous forests in hilly terrain.
  • They inhabit areas with significant cover from grasses or heavy undergrowth, and close to water bodies.
• Features:
  • They have a yellowish-brown to reddish coat and are slender, with small legs and a short tail.
  • These antelopes have four horns, which distinguish them from most other bovids, which have two horns.
  • Only males in this species grow horns. One pair of horns is located between the ears, and the other on the forehead. 
  • They are usually diurnal and solitary by nature; however, can be spotted in loose groups of three to four.
• Conservation Status:
  • IUCN Red List: Vulnerable

Key Facts about Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve:

• Location: It is spread across Sagar, Damoh, and Narsinghpur, districts of Madhya Pradesh.
• It is spread over an area of 2,339 square kilometres.
• It is the seventh tiger reserve in Madhya Pradesh.
• It will encompass areas within the Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary and Durgavati Wildlife Sanctuary.
• A green corridor linking Panna Tiger Reserve (PTR) with Durgavati will be developed for the natural movement of the tiger to the new reserve.
• Rivers: Parts of the reserve fall under the Narmada and Yamuna River basins.
• The Singorgarh Fort is located within the reserve.
• Vegetation: Dry deciduous type
• Flora: The chief floral elements include Teak, Saja, Dhaora, Ber, Amla etc.
• Fauna: Tiger, leopard, wolf, jackal, Indian fox, striped hyena, Nilgai, Chinkara, Chital, Sambhar, Black Buck, Barking deer, Commom Langur, Rhesus Macaque, etc.

Q1: What are Deciduous Forests?

A deciduous forest is a biome dominated by deciduous trees which lose their leaves seasonally. The Earth has temperate deciduous forests, and tropical and subtropical deciduous forests, also known as dry forests.

Source: MP: Rare 4-Horned Antelope Sighted In Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve

About Ghataprabha River:

• It is a tributary of the Krishna River and flows in the state of Karnataka.
• Course: The river originates in the Western Ghats at an elevation of 884 meters and flows in the direction of east for a distance of 283 kilometers before it merges with the Krishna River.
• The river debouches by 53 metres at Gokak Falls in Belgaum (Belagaavi) District, Karnataka.
• The river basin is 8,829 square kilometers wide and stretches across Karnataka and Maharashtra states.
• The Hiranyakeshi River and the Markandeya River are tributaries of the Ghataprabha.

Key Facts about Krishna River:

• It is a river in south-central India.
• Origin: It rises in western Maharashtra state in the Western Ghatsrangenear the town of Mahabaleshwar.
• In terms of water inflows and river basin, Krishna is the fourth biggest river after Ganga, Godavari, and Brahmaputra. 
• Total Length: 1300 km 
• Course: It passes through Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh and meets the Bay of Bengal at Hamasaladeevi in Andhra Pradesh, on the east coast.
• The Krishna River Basin extends over an area of about 258,948 sq. km, which is nearly 8 percent of the total geographical area of the country. 
• Tributaries:
• The most important tributary is the Tungabhadra River. It has been formed by the Tunga River and the Bhadra River, which originate in the Western Ghats.
• Other tributaries include the Koyna River, Bhima River, Kundali River, Malaprabha River,Ghataprabha River, Yerla River, Warana River, Dindi River, Musi River, and Dudhganga River.

Q1: Which are the major tributaries of the Ganges River? 

Tributaries of Ganga include Ramganga, Gomti, Ghaghara, Gandak, Kosi and Mahananda from the left bank and Yamuna, Tamsa, Son and Punpun from the right bank.

Source: Nine rescued after tractor falls into Ghataprabha River

About Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana:

• Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) is a credit-linked subsidy scheme initiated to provide affordable housing to low and moderate-income residents across the country.
• The newly formed government has approved the proposal to provide 3 crore additional rural and urban houses under PMAY.
• The scheme has two components: PMAY-U for the urban poor and PMAY-G and PMAY-R for the rural poor.

PMAY-U (Urban):

• Objective: To provide housing for all in urban areas.
• Beneficiaries: Economically Weaker Section (EWS), Low-Income Group (LIG), and Middle-Income Group (MIG).
• Subsidy Schemes:
  • Credit Linked Subsidy Scheme: Offers interest subsidy on home loans for EWS, LIG, and MIG categories.
  • In-Situ Slum Redevelopment: Utilizes land as a resource to provide houses to eligible slum dwellers.
  • Affordable Housing in Partnership: Promotes partnerships with public and private sectors to provide affordable housing.
  • Beneficiary-Led Construction: Provides financial assistance to individuals to construct or enhance their own houses.

PMAY-G (Gramin):

• Objective: To provide a pucca house with basic amenities to all rural families who are homeless or living in kutcha or dilapidated houses.
• Beneficiaries: Identified using the Socio-Economic and Caste Census (SECC) 2011.
• Features:
  • Financial Assistance: Rs. 1.2 lakh in plain areas and Rs. 1.3 lakh in hilly, difficult, and Integrated Action Plan (IAP) areas.
  • Construction: Houses are to be constructed by beneficiaries with technical assistance from the government.
  • Convergence with other schemes: Encourages convergence with other schemes like Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) for toilet construction, and MGNREGA for wage employment.

Q1: What is a Center Sector Scheme?

Central Sector Schemes are those that are implemented by a central agency and 100% funded by the centre on subjects within the union list.

Source: 3 crore additional rural and urban houses under PMAY a boost for ‘Ease of Living’ and dignity for crores of Indians: PM