Published on: October 5, 2024

Snippets : 4-5 OCTBER 2024

Snippets : 4-5 OCTBER 2024

  • Bengaluru has taken the top spot as India’s most congested city, according to the Traffic Quality Index (TQI), with a score that’s alarmingly high in the extreme congestion category. The city’s traffic woes are legendary, and it’s interesting to note that the best time to navigate Bengaluru is 8 am, while 6 pm is best avoided when congestion peaks.
  • The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has launched the ‘Baal Swaraj’ portal, a comprehensive digital interface aimed at ensuring the holistic development and rehabilitation of children in conflict with the law. The portal enables real-time monitoring of Child Care Institutions (CCIs) and tracks each child’s progress, providing necessary interventions. Its objectives include guaranteeing basic legal entitlements, access to education, vocational training, psychological support, and free legal aid, ultimately reducing recidivism by offering timely rehabilitation support
  • Little Prespa Lake in Albania is facing severe environmental degradation, with approximately 95% (430 hectares) of its 450-hectare area transformed into swamps or dried up due to rising temperatures, mild winters, and scarce precipitation. As one of Europe’s oldest tectonic lakes and the highest on the Balkan Peninsula, Lake Prespa’s ecosystem is fragile, straddling Albania, Greece, and North Macedonia, with its unique geology and biodiversity now threatened by climate change, putting its very existence at risk.
  • The Department of Social Justice and Empowerment and the National Legal Services Authority have recently launched SARTHIE 1.0, an initiative aimed at empowering disadvantaged communities, including Scheduled Castes, Other Backward Classes, Senior Citizens, Transgender Persons, and more. This initiative aligns with the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, focusing on eradicating poverty, reducing inequality, and promoting social protection policies. By bridging the awareness gap and providing legal assistance, SARTHIE 1.0 ensures the effective implementation of social welfare programs, fostering synergy between the executive and judiciary to strengthen social justice. The initiative targets vulnerable sections of society, including victims of alcoholism and substance abuse, persons engaged in begging, and denotified and nomadic tribes, offering them a pathway to empowerment and equality
  • Entomologists from Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE) have discovered a new species of potter wasp, Pseumenes siangensis, in Arunachal Pradesh’s Upper Siang region, marking a significant addition to India’s wasp diversity. The 30.2mm-long wasp, named after the Siang Valley, boasts distinct morphological features and color patterns. As solitary wasps, they construct mud nests for their larvae, which feed on caterpillars and other insects, playing a crucial role in controlling pest populations. This finding highlights the Eastern Himalayas’ underexplored biodiversity, emphasizing the need for extensive taxonomic research in the region.
  • The Science and Technology Department is planning to establish a mega regional science centre at Hampi in Vijayanagar district, modeled after the Pilikula Regional Science Centre in Mangaluru, which is one of the country’s largest planetariums. The government has already identified 10 acres of land for this project and submitted a proposal to the National Council of Science Museums and the Union Ministry of Culture. This centre aims to provide an interactive learning experience for students through science exhibits and activities, catering to the large population of the region. Hampi was chosen as the location due to its status as a world-famous tourist destination, with many schools from the Kalyana-Karnataka region already visiting the area. The proposed centre will feature state-of-the-art technologies, three exhibition galleries, a planetarium, a science demonstration area, an auditorium, and a science park, similar to the Pilikula Regional Science Centre. This initiative is part of the department’s efforts to promote science and technology, with nine sub-regional science centres already functioning in the state and 19 more in development.
  • The Karnataka government has launched a groundbreaking initiative to mitigate human-animal conflicts and curb elephant menace in the Malnad region. An Elephant Soft Release Centre, or Elephant Vihar Dham, spanning 2,000 hectares, will be established in the Bhadra reserve forest region to provide a safe haven for captured elephants. This project aims to reduce conflicts between humans and elephants, which have been on the rise, causing loss of lives and crops. The centre will feature elephants’ favorite plants, including bamboo, jackfruit, and grass, across 5,000 acres of barricaded land. This initiative is expected to benefit residents in Kodagu, Hassan, Shivamogga, and Chikkamagaluru districts, where elephants often stray into human habitats. Additionally, an elephant camp will be set up in Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary to control the elephant menace in the region. This project builds upon the success of the Bhadra Rehabilitation Project, which relocated 736 families from 16 villages within the Bhadra Tiger Reserve, significantly reducing human-wildlife conflict and increasing the tiger population from eight to 40. The state government plans to replicate this success in other forest areas, promoting people’s participation in wildlife conservation.
  • The World Health Organization has taken a significant step in the fight against mpox by authorizing Abbott Laboratories’ mpox diagnostic test for emergency use. This test, known as Alinity m MPXV assay, uses real-time PCR to detect mpox virus DNA from human skin lesion swabs and is designed for use by trained clinical laboratory personnel . According to Yukiko Nakatani, the WHO’s assistant director-general for access to medicines and health products, this approval represents a major milestone in expanding testing availability in affected countries . The test will play a crucial role in bolstering testing capabilities in countries facing outbreaks of the disease, and its approval marks the first under the WHO’s Emergency Use Listing procedure. This development is expected to significantly enhance diagnostic capacity globally, particularly in areas where the disease is prevalent.
  • Scientists have detected the gases carbon dioxide and hydrogen peroxide on Pluto’s largest moon, ‘Charon’.
  • India has recently joined the International Medical Device Regulators Forum (IMDRF) as an affiliate member, marking a significant milestone in the country’s efforts to harmonize medical device regulations globally. The IMDRF, established in 2011, is a voluntary group of medical device regulators from around the world that aims to accelerate international medical device regulatory harmonization and convergence
  • The Union Cabinet recently declared Marathi, Bengali, Assamese, Pali, and Prakrit as classical languages, expanding the list that already includes Tamil, Sanskrit, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, and Odia. For a language to gain classical status, it must meet certain criteria, including having early texts or a history spanning 1,500–2,000 years, a rich body of literature, and evidence of distinctiveness from modern usage. Tamil was the first language to receive this status in 2004, followed by others in subsequent years. The 2024 recognition of these five languages followed revisions made by the Sahitya Akademi’s Linguistic Experts Committee. The benefits of classical language status include international awards for scholars, the establishment of research centres, and academic support through professional chairs in universities.
  • The Union Cabinet has approved several new schemes, including the Incentive Scheme for Domestic Production of Oilseeds, aimed at boosting oilseed cultivation and reducing dependence on edible oil imports. With a budget of ₹10,103 crore, the scheme, part of the National Mission on Edible Oils – Oilseeds, targets increasing production from 39 million tonnes in 2022-23 to 69.7 million tonnes by 2030-31. This complements a 2021 oil palm initiative, aiming to meet 72% of India’s edible oil needs. Major agriculture schemes like PM Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (PM-RKVY) and Krishonnati Yojana, with a combined budget of over ₹1 lakh crore, have also been approved to promote sustainable agriculture and food security. Additionally, the Productivity-Linked Reward (PLR) Scheme for port employees has been revised, benefiting over 20,000 workers with performance-based rewards over the 2020-26 period, with a financial implication of ₹200 crore.
  • The recently launched PM Internship Scheme, announced in the Union Budget by the Finance Minister, aims to enhance youth employability by providing structured internship opportunities and hands-on training in real-world business environments. The scheme targets one crore youth over five years, offering internships through an online portal managed by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA). Key features include a monthly stipend of ₹4,500 via DBT, a ₹500 CSR offset, a one-time grant of ₹6,000, and insurance coverage under PM Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana and PM Suraksha Bima Yojana. The internship duration is one year, open to candidates aged 21 to 24 who have completed at least class 10, with exclusions for post-graduates, individuals from government job families, and those earning over ₹8 lakh in 2023-24. The scheme benefits youth by providing on-the-job training and industries, including MSMEs, with a pipeline of skilled, work-ready employees.
  • The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved India’s participation in the International Energy Efficiency Hub (Hub) by signing a ‘Letter of Intent,’ reinforcing its commitment to sustainable energy practices. Established in 2020 as a successor to the International Partnership for Energy Efficiency Cooperation (IPEEC), the Hub fosters global collaboration in energy efficiency with 16 member nations, including the U.S., China, and France. India’s participation will provide access to global expertise and knowledge sharing, enhancing domestic energy efficiency strategies. The Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), under the Ministry of Power, will act as the implementing agency. This move strengthens India’s role in combating climate change, promoting a low-carbon economy, and demonstrating leadership in global energy efficiency efforts.