Current Affairs 28 February 2026
Initiatives to Mitigate Human-Elephant Conflict
- Project Elephant (1992): It is a central scheme to conserve elephants, protect habitats and corridors, and reduce HEC.
- Behavioural Study: Study to analyze elephant conflict issues with Wildlife Institute of India, radio collaring of wild elephants in conflict areas, and manual on best practices for HEC management.
- Regional Action Plan (RAP): Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) has initiated development of RAP adopting a landscape-level, and multi state approach.
National Science Day in India is celebrated every year on 28 February to mark the discovery of the Raman Effect by renowned physicist Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman in 1928.
- About C V Raman (1888-1970)
- Born at Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu.
- Scientific Contributions
- Discovery of the Raman Effect (1928).
- The Raman Effect is the change in the wavelength (color) of light when a light beam is scattered by molecules in a material, revealing information about the molecule’s structure and vibrations.
- Other Major contributions: to optics and spectroscopy; Research on acoustics of Indian musical instruments; Advances in crystallography and solid-state physics.
Durand Line
- It serves as the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan for about 2,600 km.
- Afghanistan does not recognize the border as legitimate.
- The British proposed the Durand Line, created in 1893, to definitively separate then British-controlled India from Afghanistan.
- It is named after Sir Mortimer Durand, a British civil servant who negotiated the agreement with Afghan ruler Abdur Rahman Khan
Project Cheetah
- Genesis: Launched in 2022, it aims to translocate African cheetahs to India.
- It is the world’s first intercontinental large wild carnivore translocation initiative.
- Implementing agency: National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).
- Technical Assistance: Provided by Wildlife Institute of India (WII).
Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve
- Location: Situated in the Vindhya hills of Umaria district, Madhya Pradesh; named after the historic Bandhavgarh Fort linked to the Ramayana tradition.
- Conservation Status: Declared a National Park and later designated a Tiger Reserve under Project Tiger.
- Flora: Dominated by tropical dry deciduous forests with sal forests, mixed vegetation and grasslands.
- Fauna: Known for high tiger density; also home to leopards, deer species, gaur and diverse birdlife.
Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV)
- Type: Viral infection (Human Herpesvirus-4).
- Spreads mainly through saliva and body fluids.
- Common Symptoms: Fever, sore throat, fatigue, swollen lymph nodes.
- Complications: Rarely associated with cancers such as Burkitt lymphoma and nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
- Treatment: No specific vaccine or cure.
Very Short-Range Air Defence System (VSHORADS)
- VSHORADS is a Man-Portable Air Defence System (MANPADS).
- Developer: Indigenously designed by DRDO’s Research Centre Imarat.
- Capability: Intercepts and destroys high-speed aerial threats at varying ranges and altitudes.
- Operational Use: Intended for induction into Indian Army, Navy and Air Force; strengthens layered air defence.
About CGA
- CGA is the Principal adviser on accounting matters to the Union Government. Unlike CAG, CGA is non-constitutional.
- Works under the Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance.
- Functions:
- Responsible for preparation, consolidation and submission of Union Government accounts.
- Ensures exchequer control, administers receipts and payments, and oversees internal audit functions across Ministries.
- Prepares monthly and annual analysis of expenditure, revenues, borrowings and various fiscal indicators for the Union Government.