Gingee Fort
▪ Gingee Fort has been inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
▪ It is part of the Maratha Military Landscapes which includes 12 sites, with Gingee being the only one outside Maharashtra.
▪ Known as the “Troy of the East” for its strong fortifications and strategic importance.
▪ The nomination was submitted for the 2024–25 cycle.
▪ Located on three hillocks: Rajagiri, Krishnagiri, and Chandragiri.
▪ Originally built by Ananta Kon of the Konar Dynasty in 1200 CE.
▪ Fortified further by his successor in 1240 CE, naming the northern hill Krishnagiri.
▪ Spanning from the 17th to 19th centuries CE, this extraordinary network of forts demonstrates the strategic military vision and architectural ingenuity of the Maratha Empire.
▪ It is associated with good governance, military strength, cultural pride, and emphasis on social welfare.
▪ It becoming India’s 44th property to receive this recognition.
▪ Underwent further construction during the Vijayanagara Empire.
▪ Controlled by several powers over centuries:
✓ Vijayanagara Nayaks
✓ Marathas
✓ Mughals
✓ Nawabs
✓ French
✓ British
▪ Architectural & Cultural Features: Stepped well, Kalyana Mahal, Durbar hall, Cannon, Clock tower, Armoury, Elephant tank, Stable, Granary, Gymnasium, Venkataramana Temple, Sadathtulla Mosque
▪ Had two separate water supply systems (Nayaks and Nawab periods) enabling water to reach the topmost points of the fort.
Coconut farmers deploy climate sensors to explore alternative crops
▪ Coconut farmers in Pollachi region, Coimbatore district, have deployed real-time climate monitoring systems.
▪ This is the first-of-its-kind initiative in Tamil Nadu aimed at guiding future cropping decisions due to the threat of root wilt disease.
▪ The root wilt disease is severely affecting coconut cultivation.
▪ The initiative is aimed at generating consistent weather data to explore alternatives to coconut
cultivation.
▪ The system, developed by Bengaluru-based Phytec, uses low-cost, solar-powered, sub-gigahertz sensors placed at one-kilometre intervals.
▪ The system records key environmental parameters such as temperature, humidity, rainfall, and solar radiation.
T.N.’s Naan Mudhalvan scheme
▪ VinFast has recruited 200 polytechnic students in Thoothukudi, trained under the Naan Mudhalvan scheme’s skill development programme.
▪ The Tamil Nadu government introduced the Naan Mudhalvan programme in March 2022.
▪ It is a dedicated initiative to provide effective and comprehensive guidance to youth on career
development and boost employability.
▪ The Tamil Nadu government further launched the Naan Mudhalvan Upskilling Platform to develop skills and provide dynamic information to college students on various courses and industry-specific skills.
▪ This programme assists Tamil Nadu students in getting training in their preferred field of interest.
▪ Department: Department of Higher Education.
Tribal Eco-Cultural Village – A living museum on tribal culture
▪ Location: Karachikorai, near Bhavanisagar, Erode district, Tamil Nadu.
Objectives:
▪ To educate tourists on wildlife-compatible tribal livelihoods.
▪ Preserve tribal culture and traditions.
▪ Economically empower tribal communities by:
✓ Creating markets for tribal artefacts.
✓ Promoting ethnic cuisine.
✓ Offering employment to artisans through performances of traditional dance and music.
✓ To economically empower tribal communities by creating a market for tribal artefacts.
▪ It was also intended to serve as a value-based eco-tourism destination for tourists from Coimbatore, Erode, Tiruppur, and surrounding regions.
▪ Foundation lay: December 8, 2018.
▪ Funded by: State Innovation Fund (2018–19) with an allocation of ₹7 crore.
▪ Developed by: Forest department.
▪ Planned to be completed by December 2019.
▪ Project Features (Planned): Model tribal houses, Tribal musical instruments, Traditional attire and antiques, Stone and wooden crafts, Sangam literature studio, Outdoor interpretation centre, Ponds and other natural features
