Important Facts for Prelims (6th August 2018)

• 06 Aug 2018

Andhra Pradesh is Front-Runner in Energy Efficiency

• Andhra Pradesh has emerged the front-runner in the field of energy efficiency according to the States’ Energy Efficiency Preparedness Index (SEEPI) released by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) and NITI Aayog.
• The World Bank has already ranked A.P. No. 1 in Energy Efficiency Implementation Readiness, followed by Kerala, Punjab, Rajasthan, and Maharashtra.
• Andhra Pradesh is ahead of other States in the race to the top by performing exceedingly well on the energy efficiency front in municipalities and agriculture in demand-side management and domestic/buildings sector.

Read more about state energy efficiency index...

Indian Star Tortoises

• 1,125 endangered Indian Star Tortoises (Geochelone elegans), which were meant to be smuggled to Bangladesh, were seized on board a train at the city railway station.
• Indian Star Tortoises are categorised as ‘Vulnerable’ in the red list of endangered species of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
• The species are also listed in the Schedule IV of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 and are prohibited from export under the Foreign Trade Policy.
• The species are liable for confiscation under the Customs Act, 1962.
• Indian Star Tortoises are found in three broad areas of geographic occurrence: northwestern India (Gujarat, Rajasthan) and adjoining southeastern Pakistan; eastern and southern areas from Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and eastern Karnataka to Odisha (Orissa); and throughout Sri Lanka.
• The illegal wildlife trade of the species is done to meet the increasing international demand for use as ‘exotic pets’.