11/11 160-year-old Human Skeletons found in Punjab, who were the victims?
According to an inquiry, human skeletons discovered in Punjab in 2014 belonged to Indian soldiers from the Gangetic plain murdered by the British army during the Indian freedom fight uprising in 1857.
In the city of Ajnala, a considerable number of these human remains were discovered in an ancient well. Some historians believe these corpses were among those slain in rioting after India and Pakistan were partitioned in 1947.
Another widely held opinion, based on historical records, is that they are the skeletons of Indian troops killed by the British Army during the Indian Freedom War. However, due to a lack of scientific evidence, the identities of these warriors and their geographical origins have been extensively contested.
10/11 Uttar Pradesh Govt set to launch Silk Exchange Project in Varanasi
The Uttar Pradesh government intends to launch the 'Silk Exchange' in Varanasi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's parliamentary seat, to promote sericulture and silk products. Varanasi is a world-renowned textile center, particularly for silk weaving. The Silk Exchange is projected to lower the cost of silk for retailers and sari manufacturers.
In addition, the government intends to open an office on the Exchange for the Karnataka Silk Marketing Board (KSMB), which will supply green silk threads to local weavers who manufacture the most beautiful Banarasi saris.
Once the Exchange is operational, the government will link the weavers to maximize the benefits of the new infrastructure, which will include state weavers and yarn manufacturing units.
9/11 Palli became India's 1st 'Carbon Neutral Panchayat'
Palli village in the Samba district of the Jammu division has been designated as India's first "carbon neutral panchayat." Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid a visit to Palli and cut the ribbon on a 500-kilowatt solar project.
They got solar-powered after the solar facility was inaugurated. According to reports, 1,500 solar panels have been installed as part of the national government's 'Gram Swaraj' program, which would give electricity to 340 homes in the model panchayat.
Palli's solar facility was completed in only three weeks, which is a world record. The electricity generated will be distributed to the village through the local power grid station, which has a daily need of 2,000 units.
8/11 World Press Freedom Index 2022: India slips to 150th rank
According to a survey released on Tuesday (May 3) by a global media watchdog, India has dropped to 150th place in the World Press Freedom Index, down from 142nd place last year.
According to Reporters Without Borders, India's neighbors, except for Nepal, have all declined in the World Press Freedom Index. Pakistan is ranked 157th, followed by Sri Lanka at 146th, Bangladesh at 162nd, and Myanmar at 176th.
Norway ranked first.
Denmark placed second.
Sweden ranked third.
Estonia ranked fourth.
7/11 The story of Bremji Kul, Kashmir's sacred tree
The Kashmir Valley was a spiritual meeting spot a few hundred years ago, a holy location that drew dozens of men and women and urged them to live a life closer to God. A tree known as Bremji Kul has sprouted near the cemetery and tombs of Sufi saints, as though out of reverence or mute devotion to God's men.
The Western Himalayas are home to the Bremji Kul (Celtis Australis) species. It is a dependable fodder, fuel, wood, and agriculture plant. It feeds livestock with tasty, nutrient-rich, tannin-free food.
The tree is usually bred for fodder, wood, and medicinal purposes. Its wood quality is ideal for manufacturing whips, sticks, cups, spoons, sports equipment, canoes and oars, construction materials, and other tools and handles.
6/11 Hindu Idols in Taj Mahal? Petition filed in Allahabad High Court
A writ case was recently filed at the Allahabad High Court's Lucknow bench, requesting that the Archaeological Survey of India investigate the 22 locked doors in the Taj Mahal to determine the presence of Hindu deity idols.
According to a PTI report, Rajneesh Singh, the media in charge of the BJP's Ayodhya unit, submitted the plea with the registry of the High Court's Lucknow bench, and it would be heard by the court after it is passed by the registry.
The Hindu deities' idols are locked away behind closed doors, according to the petition, which requested the formation of a fact-finding commission and the submission of a report by the ASI. It also highlighted historians' and Hindu organizations' allegations that the edifice is an antique Shiv Temple.
5/11 5000 years old jewelry factory in Rakhigarhi
For the past 32 years, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has been conducting fresh excavations. With the excavation of a 5000-year-old factory that used to create jewelry, ASI appears to have uncovered one of its most significant findings in the 7,000-year-old planned Harappan metropolis. Two women's corpses were discovered along with jewelry during the most recent round of excavation in Rakhigarhi, which is expected to be completed by the end of May. Utensils used by the deceased were discovered among the skeletons.
4/11 It may take 12 years for the Indian economy to overcome COVID losses, says RBI report
According to research provided by the Reserve Bank of India, the Indian economy could take more than a decade to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic's losses.
The paper estimates output losses during the pandemic era at roughly 52 lakh crore, based on an analysis of COVID-19's economic impact.
According to the chapter 'Scars of the Pandemic' in the Report on Currency and Finance (RCF) for the year 2021-22, recurring waves of COVID-19 have hampered sustained recovery, and quarterly GDP trends have virtually followed the ebbs and flows of the pandemic.
According to the report, the pandemic's behavioral and technical shifts may usher in a new normal that does not necessarily imitate pre-pandemic norms but is built on more efficient, equitable, clean, and green foundations.
3/11 India & Denmark agree to strengthen the 'Green Strategic Partnership'
India and Denmark agreed on a five-year action plan and inked four agreements aimed at enhancing collaboration in green technology and natural resource management, including groundwater management.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the green strategic cooperation, which was signed a year ago, represented both countries' forethought and regard for the environment.
While Denmark has expertise in green technologies, Frederiksen believes that India has the size to apply them to a population of over a billion people.
2/11 India's first Amrit Sarovar established in UP's Rampur
The first 'Amrit Sarovar' in India has been completed in Rampur's Gram Panchayat Patwai. 75 water bodies will be constructed and regenerated as part of the Amrit Sarovar effort as part of the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav.
A pond in Rampur was cleaned and revitalized in just a few weeks. This pond is currently a popular tourist destination in the countryside. Amrit Sarovar was picked from 75 ponds in Rampur. Out of all the selected ponds, the pond in village panchayat Patwai of development block Shahbad has been completed.
1/11 NASA's World’s largest flying telescope SOFIA to be Decommissioned
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) of the United States stated on April 28, 2022, that the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) project would be shut down by September 30, 2022. The largest airborne telescope in the world, SOFIA, proved the presence of water on the Moon.
SOFIA is a 2.7-meter infrared telescope that flies at an altitude of 38,000-45,000 feet above the surface inside a Boeing 747SP plane and is considered one of NASA's finest space science missions. SOFIA is a collaborative effort between NASA and the German Aerospace Center, DLR.
NASA's decision to close SOFIA follows the White House's 2023 federal budget request, which did not include funding for SOFIA.
SOFIA's annual operations budget is the second-highest in Astrophysics, yet the mission's science productivity is not comparable to other significant science projects. According to sources, SOFIA, which costs around $85 million per year to operate, has already been threatened with termination, 20% of the costs were covered by the German Space Agency.
