Prelims Focus-29th September 2023

1.Sarna Religion for Tribals

In News: The Chief Minister of Jharkhand has written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi demanding recognition of the religious code of the Sarna Religion.

• Followers of a similar faith consider themselves to belong to a particular religious group and are natural worshippers. 
• The holy grail of a similar belief is “Jal (Water), Jungle (Forest), Zameen (Earth)” and its followers pray to  trees and hills  believing in protecting  forest areas. 
• Those who believe in the Sarna faith do not practice idol worship and do not adhere to the concept of Varna system, heaven-hell etc.  
• The followers are mostly concentrated in the tribal areas of Odisha, Jharkhand, Bihar, West Bengal and Assam. 
• Seeking a similar code as a separate religious code in the next census has been a long-standing demand of tribal groups. 
• In 2021, the Jharkhand Assembly  unanimously passed a resolution on the “Sarna” code.

2.Swavlamban 2.0

In News: The Indian Navy will soon release its updated indigenization plan, called ‘Swavlamban 2.0’.

• The action plan provides updates on the fleet’s achievements and progress. 
• Swavlamban 2.0 action plan also aims to collaborate, coordinate and develop new technologies in collaboration with other stakeholders. 
• The Navy surpassed last year’s target of developing 75 futuristic technologies in collaboration with domestic micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and start-ups. 
• These technologies and products are built to world class standards but at a much more affordable price as they are manufactured in India.

3.Pterygotrigla Intermedica

In News: A new species of fish called Pterygotrigla Intermedica has been discovered in the Digha port of West Bengal.

• Commonly known as gorse or margoby, it belongs to the Triglidae family. 
•  It has markings quite similar to  Pterygotrigla hemisticta. 
• This is the fourth species of the genus Pterygotrigla from India so far, and the family Triglidae includes a total of 178 species  worldwide. 
• The specimens were found to differ well from other Gurnard species in several aspects, such as snout length, exoccipital shape, and  cleithrum spine size.

4.Batillipes kalami

In News: Scientists from the Cochin University of Science and Technology have identified a new species of marine tardigrade, Batillipes Kalami.

• It is found in Mandapam in southeastern Tamil Nadu 
• It belongs to the genus Batillipes and was called Batillipes kalam. 
• It is the 37th species of the genus Batillipes. 
• This is the second marine tardigrade found in Indian waters and the first  from the east coast. 
• It is also the first taxonomically described species belonging to the genus Batillipes from India.
• It has a trapezoidal head (cirri) with sharp filamentous appendages. 

All four pairs of legs have sensory spines of varying lengths.

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