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- Keoladeo National Park, also called Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary, is a renowned wildlife haven in Rajasthan.
- Dubbed the 'paradise of birds', this 29 sq.km park is now gaining recognition as a turtle refuge, sheltering eight of the ten turtle species found in the state.
- Originally developed in the late 19th century by Maharaja Suraj Mal as a royal hunting ground, it was designated a bird sanctuary in 1956 and declared a national park in 1981.
- Named after the ancient Keoladeo temple dedicated to Lord Shiva, the park features diverse ecosystems like woodlands, swamps, and wet grasslands.
- Positioned along the Central Asian migratory flyway, it hosts over 360 species of birds, including migratory waterfowl from regions like Siberia, China, and Afghanistan. It is a Ramsar site and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- The park also supports dry deciduous vegetation and is inhabited by a variety of reptiles and mammals such as deer, jackals, and pythons.
- The Chamber of Commerce and Industry of India (CCI India) recently highlighted the role of Bharat Seva Kendra (BSK) in narrowing the urban-rural gap by delivering essential public services directly to citizens' doorsteps.
- Bharat Seva Kendra is a nationwide initiative launched by CCI India to ensure rural communities can easily access various government schemes and services. Functioning as single-window centers, BSKs provide information and support related to healthcare, education, employment, agriculture, financial aid, and digital empowerment.
- The initiative is powered by a grassroots network of 2.5 lakh sarpanches and 6.5 lakh BSK Sarthis, who act as local facilitators to connect villagers with government welfare programs.
- A strong emphasis is placed on digital inclusion. Each center is equipped with modern infrastructure to provide digital literacy training and help villagers use e-governance services efficiently.
- By collaborating with both central and state governments, BSK aims to simplify governance and enhance rural access to public welfare schemes.
- A team of Chinese astronomers and astrophysicists has recently identified a unique binary star system, featuring a rare combination: a millisecond pulsar paired with a companion star primarily composed of helium. This discovery adds a new layer to our understanding of stellar evolution and compact binary systems.
- A binary star system consists of two stars gravitationally bound to each other, orbiting a shared center of mass known as the barycenter. These stars can differ in mass, brightness, and size. The larger is called the primary star, and the smaller, the companion. While many stars in the night sky appear as doubles, not all are true binaries—some are optical doubles, appearing close together from Earth but unrelated in space.
- Roughly 85% of stars are part of binary or multi-star systems. Some binaries include stellar remnants—white dwarfs, neutron stars, or black holes. In close binaries, stars may even exchange material, leading to dramatic stellar interactions.