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It is a new species of gecko discovered in the Western Ghats (endemic) near Rajapalayam in Tamil Nadu. The new species is also called Rashid’s dwarf gecko as it is the smallest (approx. 2 inches) among the genus. The dwarf gecko has been found in small numbers and it is endemic to the Western Ghats. So far, 93 species of gecko have been documented and this is the 94th species.

Pancorius Sebastiani

Pancorius sebastiani, a new species of jumping spider, was discovered from the Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuary, Western Ghats, Kerala. It belongs to the genus Pancorius Simon, 1902, and Salticidae family. The Pancorius genus of Asian jumping spiders is primarily distributed in south east Asia. While its distribution was hitherto limited to the east and northeastern regions in India, the new species is the first to be reported from the south.

Maternity leave for women in Armed Forces

Union Defence Minister has approved a proposal to grant maternity, child care and child adoption leave to women soldiers, sailors and air warriors on par with their officer counterparts. At present, the women officers get maternity leave of 180 days with full pay for each child, subject to a maximum of 2 children. Childcare leave of 360 days is granted in total service career (subject to the child being less than 18 years of age) to women officers. Child adop

Hasmukh Shah Memorial Award

Alvin Anto of ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) has won the Hasmukh Shah Memorial Award for Ecological Studies for the year 2023 in the research category. He has been recognised for his extensive research on the resilience of coral reefs in the Lakshadweep islands, highlighting the increasing threats these critical ecosystems face from climate change and other human-induced factors. Hasmukh Shah Memorial Award, instituted by the Gujarat Ecology Society and f

India and Bangladesh

India and Bangladesh jointly inaugurated 3 India assisted development projects. The 3 projects are The Akhaura-Agartala cross-border rail link – Dual gauge rail line connects Bangladesh and Tripura. The Khulna-Mongla Port Rail Line - Broad gauge rail route between Mongla Port (Bangladesh) and the existing rail network in Khulna (Bangladesh). Unit - II of the Maitree Super Thermal Power Plant - Rampal in Khulna Division of Bangladesh.

Brasilia Declaration on Road Safety

The Brasilia Declaration on Road Safety was adopted at the 2nd global high-level conference on road safety in Brazil in 2015. The declaration includes recommendations on Sustainable transport, Enforcement, Post-crash response, Pedestrian and cyclist safety. The declaration also includes the Sustainable Development Goal 3.6, which is to half the number of global deaths and injuries from road traffic accidents by 2030. The United Nations has also declared 2011-2020 as the decade o