Current Affairs Question - 16 March 2020

Explanation :

• The red panda (Ailurusfulgens) is the only living member of the genus Ailurus and the family Ailuridae. It is also called the lesser panda, the red bear-cat, and the red cat-bear.
• It is arboreal and feeds mainly on bamboo, but also eats eggs, birds, and insects. It is a solitary animal, mainly active from dusk to dawn, and is largely sedentary during the day.
• It is endemic to the temperate forests of the Himalayas, and ranges from the foothills of western Nepal to China in the east.
• In India, it is found in Sikkim, western Arunachal Pradesh, Darjeeling district of West Bengal and parts of Meghalaya.
• It is also the state animal of Sikkim.
• Listed as Endangered in the IUCN red list of Threatened Species and under Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, the red panda has the highest legal protection at par with other threatened species.

Explanation :

• Recently, NITI Aayog released a report on the performance of States in the implementation of Poshan Abhiyan.
• Andhra Pradesh ranked 1st in country for the overall implementation of Poshan Abhiyan.
• As part of the programme the State has trained all Angan Wadi Workers on modules created based on lifecycle approach, i.e. first 1000 days of life, with the support of incremental learning Approach (ILA).
• On the other hand,Tamil Nadutops the list of the states in terms of the number of participants in the programme.