Prelims Focus- 5th October 2023

1.Basohli Pashmina

In News: Recently, Basohli Pashmina from Jammu and Kashmir’s Kathua district, has got the Geographical Indication (GI) tag.

• Basohli Pashmina is a hand-crafted product known for its extreme softness, fineness and lightness, it has insulating properties and a longer service life. 
• Pashmina products include scarves for men and women, mufflers, blankets and baskets. 
• Pashmina refers to a fine variety of spun cashmere (animal hair fiber) obtained from the downy undercoat of Changthang. 
• It is obtained from a breed of mountain goat (Capra hircus) found on the Changthang Plateau in Tibet and parts of Ladakh. 
• The traditional producer of pashmina wool in the Ladakh region is the famous Changpa (a nomadic people living on the Changthang Plateau in Tibet).

2.Ralamandal Wildlife Sanctuary

In News: Two rare species of butterflies were recently found in Ralamandal Wildlife Sanctuary.

• • Location: It is located in Indore, Madhya Pradesh. It used to be a hunting ground for the royal family  of the Holkars as it was home to enormous numbers of tigers, leopards and deer. 
  • Established in 1989, this sanctuary is spread over an area of ​​5 square kilometers. 
  • The landscape: rolling hills, lush forests and sparkling streams.  River Narmada graces the shrine with its presence. 
    • Above it is an ancient palace built by the Holkars in 1905 and used mostly as a hunting lodge, also known as a shikargah (hunting lodge). 
  • Vegetation: Teak, rinjha, khair, palash, ghatbor, saaja, aster, ber, babool, samal, kirol, neem, khajoor, bekal, bamboo etc. is among the many notable plant species of the refuge. 

• Animals: The main animal species found here are blackbuck, cheetah, chinkara, blue bull, hyena, wild boar, pig, fox, jackal and bhedki (barking deer). It is famous for its many species of birds, most of which migrate here during the winter season.

3.Pygmy Hog

In News: Recently, 18 captive pygmy hogs were released in the Manas National Park and Tiger Reserve in western Assam. 

• • Scientific Name: Porcula Salvania.
  • Genus: It is the rarest species of pig in the world, and it is the only species in the genus Porcula. It is also the smallest species of pig.
  • Description: The skin of the pygmy hog is a grayish-brown color, and its coat consists of blackish-brown bristles. 
  • Habitat: They live in the wet high grasslands at the foothills of the Himalayas.
  • Distribution: The known population of pygmy hogs resides in Manas National Park in Assam, India. It is an indicator species. Its presence represents the health of its primary habitat, the tall, wet grasslands of the region.

• Conservation Status

• • IUCN status: Critically Endangered. 
  • It is protected under Schedule I of India’s WildLife (Protection) Act, 1972.
  • CITES: Appendix I. 

4.Kongthong Village

In News: Kongthong village has been awarded with the prestigious ‘Best Tourism Village (Bronze)’ award at the National Tourism Awards 2023 by the Ministry of Tourism.

• The village is located in the East Khasi Hills district, around 65 km from Meghalaya’s capital city Shillong.
• It is also popularly known as the Whistling Village.
• It has a unique tradition, Jingrwai lawbei, in which a song (Jingrwai) is sung in honor of the root ancestress – the clan’s first woman (Lawbei). 
• This song is composed by the mother following the birth of her child, during the first few weeks while she is regaining her health.

5.Rwanda

In News: Rwanda stands out for its efforts in advancing gender equality and women’s empowerment, and particularly in the area of political participation.

• Rwanda is a country in Central Africa.
• Capital City: Kigali
• Border: It is bordered to the North by Uganda, to the East by Tanzania, to the South by Burundi and to the West by the Democratic Republic of Congo. 
• It is popularly known as The Land of a Thousand Hills’
• It has 5 volcanoes, 23 lakes and numerous rivers, some forming the source of the River Nile.

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