07 May 2016 Current Affairs
Indian Railways Launches Bharat Darshan Tourist Train For Pilgrims
Indian Railways has launched the Bharat Darshan Tourist train for pilgrims to visit Shirdi, Tirupati, Jagannath Puri, Gangasagar, Baidyanath Dham and Jyotirlingams among others. The tourist train comprises 10 coaches and bookings are being done by IRCTC (Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation). The service offers budget-friendly package for pilgrims. The package includes train journey, road transportation, accommodation, sightseeing at tourist locations and onboard and off-board meals. Bharat Darshan will cover pilgrimages destinations like Jagannath Puri, Gangasagar, Baidyanath Dham, Gaya, Banaras and Ayodhya. It will also cover 7 Jyotirlinga package and also offers “Dakshin Darshan with Shirdi” tour package that will cover Shirdi, Tirupati, Kanchipuram, Rameshwaram, Madurai, Kanyakumari, Mysore and Bangalore.
Gujarat Government Accords Minority Status To Jain Community
Gujarat Government on 7 May accorded minority status to the Jain community by issuing a government resolution (GR) to this effect. The decision has nothing to do with reservations and the new status will benefit the poor among the Jain community as they can avail of various scholarships, government welfare schemes. Jain institutions will get special status like the one given to Christian and Muslim institutions in the state.
Karnataka Govt Decides To Set Up Asia’s First Rice Technology Park
Karnataka State government has decided to go ahead with the establishment of Asia’s first Rice Technology Park at Gangavati in Koppal district and a Maize Technology Park at Ranebennur in Haveri district on the public-private participation model as a one-stop solution to all problems of rice and maize growers. Both parks will be established on the public-private participation model as a one-stop solution to all problems of rice and maize growers. As a value addition, the rice technology park would have facilities for rice flour, rice bran oil, rice rava, rice-based alcohol, noodles, animal and poultry feed and paddy husk used for power generation and brick-making. These parks would pave the way for opening new avenues for rice and maize growers. It will help growers to add value to their produce and get better returns and also enhance quality of the produce.
Atomic Oxygen Detected In Mar’s Atmosphere
Scientists have detected atomic oxygen in the atmosphere of Mars for the first time since the last observation 40 years ago. It was detected using an instrument onboard the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA). SOFIA is a Boeing 747SP jetliner modified to carry a 100-inch diameter telescope. It is a joint project of NASA and the German Aerospace Centre. The detected atomic oxygen was found in the upper layers of the Martian atmosphere known as the mesosphere. It was detected by using the German Receiver for Astronomy at Terahertz Frequencies (GREAT), an advanced detector on one of the observatory’s instruments. The SOFIA was able to detect only about half the amount of oxygen expected, which may be due to variations in the Martian atmosphere.