Today in History (January 16th, 1761)
On this day, the British East India Company captured the city of Pondicherry from the French.
Summary of Today’s News
India’s First Dark Sky Park
The Pench Tiger Reserve in Maharashtra has been designated as India’s first Dark Sky Park and the fifth in Asia, protecting the night sky and preventing light pollution.
- The Pench Tiger Reserve (PTR) in Maharashtra is India’s first Dark Sky Park within a tiger reserve for earmarking areas around the park that restrict light pollution for stargazers to access pristine dark skies.
- Dark Sky Place certification focuses on lighting policy, dark sky-friendly retrofits, outreach and education, and monitoring the night sky.
Chittorgarh Fort
Context: Chittorgarh Fort, a historic monument and symbol of Rajput resistance, is facing threats from limestone mining blasts. The Supreme Court has ordered no blasting within a 5km radius of the fort to preserve its structures.
- Built by local Maurya rulers in the 7th century A.D., the Chittorgarh Fort in Rajasthan is one of the largest forts in India.
- The common belief is that Chitrangada Mori, the local Maurya ruler, developed the fort originally. Later, the fort was captured by the Mewar rulers in 728 CE.
- It used to be the capital of the Mewar rulers.
- It is situated on a 180-meter-high hill that rises from the banks of river Berach.
- The Fort has been witness to several legendary warriors in Indian history, including Badal, Gora, Maharana Pratap, Rana Kumbha, Patta, and Jaimal, among others.
- It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2013.
About LiDAR
- Lidar, which stands for Light Detection and Ranging, is a remote sensing method that uses light in the form of a pulsed laser to measure ranges (variable distances) to the Earth.
- These light pulses—combined with other data recorded by the airborne system — generate precise, three-dimensional information about the shape of the Earth and its surface characteristics.
- A lidar instrument principally consists of a laser, a scanner, and a specialized GPS receiver.
- Airplanes and helicopters are the most commonly used platforms for acquiring lidar data over broad areas
Malaria-free country
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- Recently, the World Health Organization (WHO) has certified Cabo Verde (also known as Cape Verde) as a malaria-free country.
- Cabo Verde has become the third country to acquire the status in the global health organisation’s African region.
- The country has now joined Mauritius and Algeria, who were certified in 1973 and 2019, respectively.
Key facts about Malaria
- It is a life-threatening disease caused by parasites that are transmitted to people through the bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes.
- There are 5 parasite species that cause malaria in humans, and 2 of these species, Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax, pose the greatest threat.
- It is common in tropical areas where it’s hot and humid.
- Children under 5 years of age are the most vulnerable group affected by malaria.
- Symptoms: Fever and sweating,Chills Headache and muscle aches etc
- Treatment: It is preventable and curable. With early treatment, most people with malaria will make a full recovery.
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