New Vande Bharat Express

Paper 3 –Infrastructure

From the point of view of mains examination

Question: Explaining the contribution of Vande Bharat Express to infrastructure development in India, also tell how Vande Bharat Express is providing mobility to India.

Why Should You Know?

Recently The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi flagged off the inaugural run of the new Vande Bharat Express from AmbAndaura, Una to New Delhi.

In details –

• On October 13, 2022 The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi flagged off the inaugural run of the new Vande Bharat Express from AmbAndaura, Una to New Delhi.
• The Prime Minister inspected the train coaches of the Vande Bharat Express and took stock of the onboard facilities. Shri Modi also inspected the control centre of the locomotive engine of Vande Bharat Express. He also inspected Una railway station.
• The Prime Minister was accompanied by Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh, Shri Jai Ram Thakur, Governor of Himachal Pradesh, Shri Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, Union Minister of Railways, Shri AshviniVaishnaw and Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting, Shri Anurag Singh Thakur when he arrived at AmbAndaura Railway Station in Una district of Himachal Pradesh.

Vande Bharat 2.0

• Vande Bharat 2.0 is equipped with more advancements and improved features such as reaching a speed of 0 to 100 kilometres per hour in just 52 seconds, and a maximum speed of up to 180 kilometres per hour.
• The improved Vande Bharat Express will weigh 392 tons when compared to the previous version of 430 tons.
• It will also have a Wi-Fi content on-demand facility. Every coach has 32” screens providing passenger information and infotainment compared to 24” in the previous version.
• Vande Bharat Express will also be environmentally friendly as the ACs will be 15 per cent more energy efficient. With dust-free clean air cooling of the traction motor, travel will become more comfortable.
• A side recliner seat facility provided only to Executive Class passengers earlier will now be made available for all classes. Executive Coaches have the added feature of 180-degree rotating seats
• In the new design of Vande Bharat Express, a photo-catalytic ultraviolet air purification system is installed in the Roof-Mounted Package Unit (RMPU) for air purification.  As recommended by Central Scientific Instruments Organisation (CSIO), Chandigarh, this system is designed and installed on both ends of RMPU to filter and clean the air free from germs, bacteria, viruses etc. coming through fresh air and return air.
• The Vande Bharat Express 2.0 offers a myriad of superior and aircraft-like travelling experiences. It is equipped with advanced state-of-the-art safety features including an indigenously developed Train Collision Avoidance System – KAVACH.

Significance

• The introduction of the train will help boost tourism in the region and provide a comfortable and faster mode of travel.
• The travel time from Una to New Delhi will be reduced by two hours.
• Running from AmbAndaura to New Delhi, it will be the fourth Vande Bharat train to be introduced in the country and is an advanced version compared to the earlier ones, being much lighter and capable of reaching higher speeds in a shorter duration.

9th World Ayurveda Congress

Paper 2 – Health

From the point of view of mains examination

Question: “We human beings can survive only when nature ceases to exist. We have to take this seriously; This should be the biggest duty of human society towards nature.” Can we prove the truth of this statement by adopting Ayurveda system, discuss.

Why Should You Know?

Recently Union Minister of AYUSH SarbanandaSonowal inaugurated Curtain Raiser for 9th World Ayurveda Congress and Arogya Expo at Panaji.

In details

• Union Minister of AYUSH SarbanandaSonowal inaugurated the Curtain Raiser for 9th World Ayurveda Congress (WAC) and Arogya Expo on October 13, 2022 at Panaji.
• The event will be held from December 8 – December 11 in Goa.
• The four-day event, supported by the Central and state governments and the Union Ministry of AYUSH, will witness an assemblage of about 5000 Ayurveda stakeholders — industry leaders, practitioners, traditional healers, educationists, students, drug manufacturers, growers of medicinal plants and marketing strategists — from across the world.
• since its inception in 2002, the event has been receiving a highly welcoming response, and the Goa edition is expected to be one of the largest thus far.

About National Ayurveda Day

• Ayurveda is perceived as one of the most ancient and well documented system of medicine equally relevant in modern times. Its holistic approach whether for healthy individuals or for diseased ones remains unparalleled.
• Prevention of disease and promotion of health is the main aim of Ayurveda. Lord Dhanvantari is considered as divine propagator of Ayurveda.
• He is conferred with the virtues of granting health and wealth. Therefore, Dhanvantari Jayanti was preferred for celebration of Ayurveda Day to nationalize this system of medicine which can prove to be a cornerstone for its ultimate globalization.
• The National Ayurveda Day is celebrated every year on the occasion of Dhanwantari Jayanti.
• This day is celebrated to raise awareness about the importance of Ayurveda in our daily lives. It also focuses on the power of Ayurveda and its unique healing principles.
• The Union Ministry of AYUSH started celebrating Dhanvantari Jayanti  as Ayurveda Day in 2016.
• In 2022, Ayurveda Day is being observed on 23 October 2022.  The Ayurveda Day celebrations are being held under the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav initiative. The theme this year is ‘Har Din Har Ghar Ayurveda’’.
• All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA), under the Ministry of Ayush, is the nodal agency for driving the Ministry of Ayush’s mandate for Ayurveda Day this year.
• The celebrations would be in collaboration with all the Ministries and departments of Government of India so that every person of the nation is  made aware of traditional system of medicine with the aim of 3Js – Jan Sandesh, Jan Bhagidari, and Jan Aandolan.
• A six-week long programme (12th September-23rd October) has been launched to focussedly interact with and sensitise the people so that the message of Ayurveda can percolate down to all levels.

One year of PM GatiShakti

Paper 2 – Government Schemes

From the point of view of mains examination

Question: PM Gatishakti will define the future of India in the years to come. PM Gatishakti National Master Plan will provide both ‘Gati’ and ‘Shakti’ to India’s efforts in infrastructure development. Discuss.

Why Should You Know?

Recently, on 13 October 2022, PM GatiShakti completed his one year period, let’s know about it.

In details –

• The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi launched PM GatiShakti on October 13,2021 for integrated planning of infrastructure and synchronized project implementation across all concerned Central Ministries, Departments and State Governments.
• PM GatiShakti is a transformative approach for integrated and holistic planning across concerned Ministries/Departments to improve multimodal connectivity, and logistics efficiency and address critical gaps for the seamless movement of people, and goods, with a focus on minimizing disruptions and ensuring timely completion of works.
• It provides for an integrated platform, the National Master Plan, where all the economic zones and their multimodal connectivity infrastructure are depicted, along with physical linkages to promote a comprehensive and integrated multimodal national network of transportation and logistics to create efficiency gains and avenues for further developments, value addition and creating employment opportunities.
• It may be noted that in the last 8 years, Capital Expenditure has seen over 4 times increase from 1.75 lac crores in 2014 to 7.5 lac crores in 2022. The development of 7.582 kms new roads, 2500 kms of new petroleum and gas pipelines, 29,040 circuits kms, and 200 million tonnes of cargo being handled by India’s railway network have been constructed adopting PM GatiShakti’s approach.
• Through the mechanism of PM National Master Plan 197 critical infrastructure gap projects have been identified and examined in sectors namely, the Ministry of Steel, Coal, Fertilizer as well as Food and Public Distribution under PM GatiShakti to improve logistics efficiency. Over 1300 inter-ministerial issues were resolved in the 11 months through the PMG Portal integrated with the National Master Plan.

LEADS-2022 survey

• The Minister also launched the Logistics Ease Across Different States (LEADS) 2022 survey report. 
• The LEADS is an indigenous data-driven index to assess logistics infrastructure, services, and human resources across all 36 States and UTs.
• By engaging with various end-user stakeholders, the LEADS acts as a feedback mechanism on the existing logistic capacities and draws recommendations for further improvement. The LEADS further uses the feedback evaluation to classify states on the scale of logistics ease currently present among them.
• The LEADS 2022 has garnered more than 6500 responses from more than 2100 respondents across the country. Unlike the previous versions of LEADS which were based on ranking systems for all states, LEADS 2022 has adopted a classification-based grading, states have been now classified under four categories viz coastal states, hinterland/landlocked states, north-eastern states, and Union Territories. For the assessment of how well a State or UT has performed in comparison to the Top State/UT within the specific cluster.
• Three performance categories namely, Achievers: States/UTs achieving 90% or more percentage, Fast Movers: States/UTs achieving percentage scores between 80% to 90%, and Aspirers: States/UTs achieving percentage scores below 80% have been made.
• The LEADS 2022 survey report would assist PM GatiShakti National Master Plan (PMGS-NMP) and National Logistics Policy (NLP) to perform a network mapping of logistics infrastructure, services, and regulatory environment enabling State Governments to identify and fill the gaps and achieve data-driven multimodal connectivity.
• LEADS continues to act as a guiding and bridging mechanism for the identification of interventions enhancing logistics efficiency at State/UTs.

EXERCISE PRASTHAN

Paper 2– International Relations

From the point of view of mains examination

Question: What do you understand by river basin area? The area of ​​a river basin affects not only the geographical conditions but also the economic conditions there. Discuss. 

Why Should You Know?

Recently, Recently Exercise Prasthan was organized under the aegis of Eastern Naval Command.In details

• An offshore security exercise, ‘Prasthan’ was conducted in the Krishna Godavari Basin Offshore Development Area (ODA) on 11-12 Oct 2022, under the aegis of Headquarters, Eastern Naval Command.
• Conducted every six months, this exercise is an important element of ensuring offshore security and aims to integrate the efforts of all maritime stakeholders involved in offshore defence.
• Led by the Navy, the exercise saw participation from the various oil operators, like ONGC, RIL, Vedanta, and other stakeholders in the domain of maritime security including AP Marine Police, AP fisheries department and the Coast Guard.
• The two-day exercise resulted in refining standard operating procedures (SOPs) and response actions to several contingencies in the Offshore Defence Area off Kakinada
• The exercise was conducted onboard Drill rigs Platinum Explorer and DDKG- of ONGC and RIL located about 40 nm south of Kakinada.
• Contingencies such as terrorist intrusion, bomb explosion, casualty evacuation, search and rescue, man overboard, major fire, oil spill and mass evacuation were exercised.

• The exercise provided all stakeholders with a realistic opportunity to assess their readiness to respond and combat contingencies in the Eastern ODA, as also to operate together in a coordinated and synergised manner.
• The exercise met all its intended objectives.

About Krishna Godavari Basin

• Extensive deltaic plain formed by two large east coast rivers, Krishna and Godavari in the state of Andhra Pradesh and theadjoining areas of Bay of Bengal in which these rivers discharge their water is known as Krishna Godavari Basin.
• The Krishna Godavari Basin is a proven petroliferous basin of continental margin located on the east coast of India .
• Its onland part covers an area of 15000 sq. km and the offshore part covers an area of 25,000 sq. km up to 1000 m isobath.
• The basin contains about 5 km thick sediments with several cycles of deposition, ranging in age from Late Carboniferous to Pleistocene.
• The major geomorphologic units of the Krishna Godavari basin are Upland plains, Coastal plains, Recent Flood and Delta Plains.
• The site is known for the D-6 block where Reliance Industries discovered the biggest natural gas reserves in India in 2003.
• The first gas discovery in the basin was in 1983, in Razole Well No 1, when ONGC had a small office in Rajahmundry and Narsapur. Since that discovery Reliance and others have joined the exploration effort.
• The Krishna Godavari basin is also known to host a species of Olive Ridley turtles.

‘Invest for Defence’Program

Paper 3 – Security

From the point of view of mains examination

Question: How the program ‘Invest for Defence’ being organized by the Ministry of Defense will contribute in maximizing indigenous production by providing investment opportunities and benefits to the defense industry in this sector. explain.

Why Should You Know?

First-ever marquee event of MoD to promote investment in the defence sector ‘Invest for Defence’ to be inaugurated by Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh during DefExpo 2022.

In details

• ‘Invest for Defence’, the first ever marquee event of Ministry of Defence, targeted to promote investment in the defence sector in the country both by the Indian industry as well Foreign Original Equipment Manufacturers, will be inaugurated by Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh on October 20, 2022 during the 12th edition of DefExpo.
• The event will highlight the requirements of the Armed Forces and policy reforms undertaken by the Government for ease of doing business in the defence sector.
• It provides the industry with the opportunities and the advantages of investing in the sector and thus contributing to maximising the indigenous production.
• The event is expected to witness participation from the big industry names, both Indian as well as foreign OEMs, such as LandT, Adani Defence, Bharat Forge, Saab, Airbus, Lockheed Martin etc., besides participation from Domestic and Foreign Institutional Investors and Venture Capitalists.

Significance

• The event will feature a panel discussion between the industry stalwarts and the MoD and Armed Forces leadership. The discussion will be followed by a QandA session, wherein participants can ask questions from the eminent panelists.
• The target audience for the event is industry representatives including those from MSMEs and Start-ups, policy makers and enthusiasts in defence sector.
• Another highlight of the event will be a B2B interaction among the OEMs, including both DPSUs and foreign OEMs, on the ‘Opportunities from large platforms’.
• Concurrently, with this B2B interaction an iDEX pitching event for the budding start-ups in Defence is also planned.
• The 12th DefExpo will be held in Gandhinagar, Gujarat between October 18-22, 2022.

About DefExpo

• Defence Exhibition Organisation is an autonomous organisation of the Indian Government established in 1981.
• The organisation was established to promote export potential of the Indian defence industry.
• The agency is responsible for organising international exhibitions such as DEFEXPO and Indian participation at overseas exhibitions.
• DefExpo2022 will be held in Gandhinagar, Gujarat from October 18 to October 22, 2020.
• The theme for this year’s expo is ‘Path to Pride’, which is aimed at invoking nationalistic pride and encouraging citizens to partake in nation building through establishing a capable indigenous defence industry.
• The five-day event will witness live demonstrations showcasing the equipment and skillset of the armed forces, DPSUs and the defence industry on all five days at Sabarmati river front.
• DefExpo 2022 will be held in a three-venue format at Helipad Exhibition Centre; inaugural event and seminars at Mahatma Mandir Convention and Exhibition Centre and live demo at the Sabarmati river front.
• At DefExpo-2022, the participants will get an opportunity to showcase their equipment and platforms and also be able to explore the strengths and capabilities of the expanse of Indian defence industry for forging business partnerships.

“PowerEX-2022”Exercise

Paper 3- Science and Tech

From the point of view of mains examination

Question: “Cyber ​​security is the complete security of any country at present.”..do you completely agree with this statement..discuss and also tell that Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) The type is strengthening cyber security in India.

Why Should You Know?

Recently CERT-In and Power-CSIRTs jointly conduct Cyber Security Exercise “PowerEX-2022”.In details

• Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) in collaboration with Power-CSIRTs (Computer Security Incident Response Teams in Power sector), successfully designed and conducted the Cyber Security Exercise “PowerEX” for 193 invited Power Sector Utilities, here yesterday.
• The Exercise Planner Team of Power-CSIRTs’ officials worked along with CERT-In team on the exercise day as Exercise Coordinators.
• The Objective of the exercise was to “Recognize, Analyseand Respond to Cyber Incident in IT and OT Systems”.
• The theme of the exercise was “Defending Cyber induced disruption in IT and OT infrastructure”.
• Exercise “PowerEX” was hosted by CERT-In on its exercise simulation platform. Around 350+ official from various Power Sector Utilities participated in the event.
• Exercise “PowerEX” was successful in meeting its objectives and helped the participants to learn, practice and respond to cyber security incidents.

What is CERT-In

• The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-IN or ICERT) is an office within the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology of the Government of India.
• CERT-IN was formed in 2004 by the Government of India under Information Technology Act, 2000 Section (70B) under the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology.

Objectives

• Preventing cyber attacks against the country’s cyber space.
• Responding to cyber attacks and minimizing damage and recovery time reducing “national vulnerability to cyber attacks.”
• It is the nodal agency to deal with cyber security threats like hacking and phishing.
• It strengthens security-related defence of the Indian Internet domain.

“GEO India 2022”Conference

Paper 3 – Energy Resources

From the point of view of mains examination

Question: While telling about the South Asian Geoscience Conference Geo India 2022, also explain what is the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG)?

Why Should You Know?

The three-day fifth South Asian Geoscience Conference ‘Geo India 2022’ is being organized in Jaipur from October 14.

In details

• To share the latest researches on improved production of natural gas and oil, the three-day 5th South Asian Geoscience Conference, GEO India 2022, will be held at JECC Sitapura, Jaipur from, October 14.
• Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas and Urban Affairs Hardeep S. Puri will inaugurate the three-day conference.
• Organized by the Association of Petroleum Geologists (APG), over a hundred experts from India and other countries including the United States, Norway and the European Central will participate to discuss the issues and share their experiences.
• Top Management personnel from International Oil Companies (IOCs) and National Oil Companies (NOCs), Service Providers, and leading Academicians to provide carefully chartered Plenary Sessions and three Panel Discussions.
• Apart from India, more than a hundred geology and geophysics experts from other countries including the USA, Norway, UK are going to attend this conference.
• The conference will brainstorm on the role of oil and gas in the context of energy transition in the fast-changing world. Hence, ‘Fossil Fuels, Decarbonization and Changing Energy Dynamics’ is chosen as a theme for the conference.”
• Over 200 technical papers will be presented in the conference, which is being participated by over 1500 geoscientists and 600 delegates.
• Apart from presentation of technical papers, plenary discussions will be held by global experts in this conference to achieve the goal of zero carbon dioxide emissions together with production of HC to meet the energy requirement of India in the future.
• Another important aspect of this conference is the Students’ program where students of geosciences will be exposed to the professional nuances of the petroleum industry to groom them into future Energy Soldiers of the fastest growing-developing nation, which is hungry for energy.

What is Association of Petroleum Geologists (APG)

• The American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG) is one of the world’s largest professional geological societies with more than 40,000 members across 129 countries.
• The AAPG works to advance the science of geology, especially as it relates to petroleum, natural gas, other subsurface fluids, and mineral resources; to promote the technology of exploring for, finding, and producing these materials in an economically and environmentally sound manner; and to advance the professional well-being of its members.
• Association of Petroleum Geologists (APG) India is AAPG’s India arm. It is a forum which brings together Petroleum Geoscientists and Engineers on one platform to discuss, deliberate and plan ways and means to supports worth-while educational and scientific programs or projects related to the geosciences.
• It focuses on advancement of the science of Petroleum Geology and promotion of technology for exploration and production in economically and environmentally sound manner.

Hydrogen-free low-carbondesulphurization process

Paper 3–Environment

From the point of view of mains examination

Question: Describe a unique single-step hydrogen-free desulfurization process developed by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)-Indian Institute of Petroleum (IIP), how it will benefit the environment.

Why Should You Know?

Recently, CSIR-Indian Institute of Petroleum announced its new atmospheric-pressure hydrogen-free low-carbon desulphurization process for crude oil and refinery streams.

In details

• Crude oil and many petroleum refining streams contain Sulphur-Containing Heterocyclic Aromatic Compounds (SCHAC), which are responsible for the corrosion of assets, poor fuel quality, health issues, and environmental problems.
• Refinery streams like petrol, diesel, jet fuel, kerosene and fuel oil therefore need to be treated for sulphur reduction before its final end-use. Conventionally, such treatment involves expensive, high-pressure hydrogen, high-temperature operations and significant capital investment, and also substantial associated net greenhouse emissions (carbon footprint) for effecting the necessary desulphurization.
• To address this, a novel single-step hydrogen-free desulphurization process has been developed by CSIR-Indian Institute of Petroleum (CSIR-IIP).
• Crude oil from various sources, and sulphur-containing streams from several refineries in India, have been tested; up to 90 percent of the sulphur content, depending on the specific nature of the stream being treated, can be removed by the process.
• The transformed sulphur compounds produced from the SCHAC components by the CSIR-IIP process are easily separable from the de-sulfurized crudes or other refinery streams via simple filtration process, and offer promise in bulk applications like road construction and coatings.
• The facile, inexpensive process offers a potentially transformative low-carbon desulfurization solution for bulk processing of petroleum streams at ambient pressures and mild temperatures.  It has the potential to change the existing desulfurization configuration of crude oil and refinery streams in a cost-effective manner without the use of expensive hydrogen, especially for marine and industrial heating applications.
• Key patents have been filed internationally and additional filings, including Trademark protection, are in progress.  CSIR-IIP invites interested industries to partner on a non-exclusive basis for collaborative research, development, scale-up and commercial deployment of the technology.

About CSIR-IIP

• Established in 1960, CSIR-Indian Institute of Petroleum is one of the 37 constituent laboratories of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, an autonomous Society headed by the Honourable Prime Minister of India. 
• CSIR-IIP develops and offers technologies, products and services aimed at reducing India’s dependence on fossil fuel imports, in mitigating the environmental impact of the global oil and gas sector, and in efficiency enhancement, capacity building and thought leadership for low-carbon energy transition across a wide range of energy producer and energy user industries.

All India Conference of Law Ministers and Law Secretaries

Paper 2 –Governance

From the point of view of mains examination

Question: “This conference will provide an opportunity to exchange best practices while providing a platform for exchange of ideas.” Is this statement true about All India Conference of Law Ministers and Law Secretaries?

Why Should You Know?

All India Conference of Law Ministers and Law Secretaries is going to begin from October 14, 2022 in Gujarat.

In details –

• An All India Conference of Law Ministers and Law Secretaries is being organised by the Ministry of Law and Justice from 14th – 16th October, 2022 at Ekta Nagar, Gujarat, where Law Ministers and Law Secretaries from States and Union Territories will be participating.
• The keynote address will be delivered on 15 October by Union Minister of Law and Justice Shri Kiren Rijiju.

Objective

• This initiative by the Ministry of Law and Justice  will provide   a forum for discussion on a variety of topics relating to India’s legal system so that policymakers may develop a road map for the country’s future.
• This event will provide a platform  for exchange of ideas  and an opportunity to various States and Union Territories to exchange their best practices that can serve to upgrade the overall legal system of the country in the interest of its citizens particularly the weaker sections of the society thereby empowering them to make an “Inclusive and Vibrant New India”.

World Sloth Bear Day

Paper 3 – Biodiversity

From the point of view of mains examination

Q: Unfortunately, their numbers are decreasing due to depleting forests as well as poaching. World Sloth Bear Day will indeed prove to be a helpful initiative in promoting the protection of this species. Throw light on the recently started World Sloth Bear Day.

Why Should You Know?

Recently on October 12, 2022 The first World Sloth Bear Day was observed.

In details

• The first World Sloth Bear Day was observed on WednesdayOctober 12, 2022  to generate awareness and strengthen conservation efforts around the unique bear species endemic to the Indian subcontinent.
• It is noteworthy that Classified as`Vulnerable’ on the IUCN Red List, sloth bears are endemic to the Indian sub-continent and 90% of the species population is found in India.
• A proposal for observing the World Sloth Bear Day was mooted by Wildlife SOS India, an organisation involved in sloth bear conservation and protection for over two decades and the IUCN-Species Survival Commission sloth bear expert team accepted the proposal and declared the day to be celebrated worldwide.
• On that day, the officials of the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change and the Central Zoo Authority (CZA) along with other stakeholders, participated in an event at Agra to observe the day.

About Sloth Bear

• The sloth bear is a myrmecophagous bear species native to the Indian subcontinent. It feeds on fruits, ants and termites.
• It is listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, mainly because of habitat loss and degradation.
• It is the only species in the genus Melursus.It has also been called “labiated bear” because of its long lower lip and palate used for sucking up insects.
• Sloth bears are identified by their very distinct long, shaggy dark brown or black fur, distinct white V-shaped chest patch and four-inch long ivory-coloured curved claws used for digging out termites and ants from rock-hard mounds.
• The sloth bear is listed in Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, which provides for their legal protection.the species has the same level of protection as tigers, rhinos and elephants.
• Commercial international trade of the sloth bear (including parts and derivatives) is prohibited as it is listed in Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species.

Distribution

• The sloth bear’s global range includes India, the Terai of Nepal, temperate climatic zones of Bhutan and Sri Lanka.
• It occurs in a wide range of habitats including moist and dry tropical forests, savannahs, scrublands and grasslands below 1,500 m (4,900 ft) on the Indian subcontinent, and below 300 m (980 ft) in Sri Lanka’s dry forests.
• It is regionally extinct in Bangladesh.

Why were sloth bears caught?

• Sloth bears were earlier caught for entertainment under the practice of ‘dancing bear’ in India. Wildlife SOS has been at the forefront of sloth bear conservation for more than 25 years.
• Wildlife SOS has rescued and rehabilitated more than 628 dancing bears, ending a 400-year-old illegal and cruel tradition.
• Simultaneously, alternative livelihoods were provided to the members of the Qalandar community who fed the bears, women were empowered and children were educated to prevent them from pursuing it.