2-Dec-2019: Sub-lieutenant Shivangi becomes First Woman Pilot of Indian Navy
Shivangi Swaroop has become the first woman pilot to fly Indian Navy fixed-wing Dornier surveillance planes. She has joined the Indian Navy as the first female pilot on December 2, 2019. She will be involved in Operation Duty in Kochi.
Sub-lieutenant Shivangi is from Muzaffarpur in Bihar. She has done her studies from DAV Public School. After completing school education, Lieutenant Shivangi did B. Tech from Sikkim Manipal Institute of Technology.
Shivangi was included as a SAC (Pilot) under the 27 NOC course at the Indian Naval Academy. She was formally made part of the Navy by Vice Admiral AK Chawla in June last year. Now Shivangi will fly surveillance aircraft. These surveillance aircraft are sent on short-range maritime missions. There are many devices like advanced surveillance radars, electronic sensors and networking are equipped on these aircraft. The Navy's aviation wing has several women officers posted as air traffic controllers and observers. Shivangi is undergoing training in Southern Command and will be allowed to fly Dornier aircraft on December 2.
12-Oct-2019: Saharan silver ant - Fastest ant species
Saharan silver ant is the fastest of the world’s 12,000 known ant species. It clocks a blistering 855 millimetres — nearly a metre — per second.
It covers 108 times its own body length per second, a feat topped only by two other creatures, the Australian tiger beetle and the California coastal mite.
- Makar Sankranti: The festival of Makar Sankranti (Andhra, Telangana and Maharashtra) is being celebrated when the Sun enters the Makar zodiac and the days begin to lengthen compared to nights.
- Pongal: In South India and particularly in Tamil Nadu, it’s the festival of Pongal which is being celebrated over 4 days at harvest time.
- Magha Bihu: In Assam and many parts of the North East, the festival of Magha Bihu is celebrated. It sees the first harvest of the season being offered to the gods along with prayers for peace and prosperity.
- Uttarayan: Gujarat celebrates it in the form of the convivial kite festival of Uttarayan.
- Maghi: In Punjab, Makar Sankranti is celebrated as Maghi. Bathing in a river in the early hours on Maghi is important.
- Saaji: In Shimla District of Himachal Pradesh, Makara Sankranti is known as Magha Saaji. Saaji is the Pahari word for Sankranti, start of the new month. Hence this day marks the start of the month of Magha.
- Kicheri: The festival is known as Kicheri in Uttar Pradesh and involves ritual bathing.