Published on: October 8, 2024
Snippets : 8 OCTBER 2024
Snippets : 8 OCTBER 2024
- The Karnataka State Board for Wildlife (SBWL), led by the Chief Minister, has approved the declaration of Hesaraghatta as a conservation reserve, officially naming it the ‘Greater Hesaraghatta Conservation Reserve’ (GHCR), which encompasses 5,010 acres of land in and around Hesaraghatta. This proposal, initially made in 2013, gained momentum after local conservation activists filed a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking judicial intervention, prompting a re-evaluation of the initiative. The GHCR includes significant areas such as Hesaraghatta Grassland (356 acres), Byrapura Lake (383 acres), Byatha Lake (165 acres), Hesaraghatta Lake (1,356 acres), and Veterinary Department Land (2,750 acres), and is legally declared under Section 36 (A) of the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972. Hesaraghatta is crucial for biodiversity and water security, as it harbors Bengaluru’s last savannah ecosystem, recognized by a committee of experts in 2013 for its importance to the region’s water supply. The area boasts diverse flora and fauna, including 39 native plant species, 10 mammal species, 133 bird species, and various other wildlife. A conservation reserve is a protected area aimed at preserving biodiversity while allowing traditional rights and community practices, managed by a Conservation Reserve Management Committee and serving as a buffer zone between wildlife sanctuaries.
- The Union Health Ministry has enhanced the Ni-Kshay Poshan Yojana (NPY) by increasing the monthly nutrition support for TB patients from ₹500 to ₹1,000, aiming to improve their nutritional intake during treatment. Household contacts of TB patients are now covered under the Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan and eligible for social support from the community. Energy-dense nutrition supplementation has been introduced for patients with a Body Mass Index (BMI) below 18.5, providing essential nutrients to underweight patients. The Ni-kshay Mitra initiative has also been expanded to cover family members of TB patients, ensuring nutritional support of ₹3,000 to ₹6,000. Launched in 2018, the NPY has provided Direct Benefit Transfers (DBT) to over 5.73 million beneficiaries, distributing ₹1,488 crore since its inception.
- India and the Maldives have signed a $750 million currency swap agreement to help the Maldives address its foreign exchange crunch. The arrangement includes $400 million and ₹3,000 crore ($357 million), signed under the SAARC Currency Swap Framework between the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the Maldives Monetary Authority, valid until 2027. This agreement allows payments between the two nations in different currencies. Additional agreements include the launch of the RuPay card in the Maldives, handover of 700 Indian-assisted houses, and MoUs for cooperation between the CBI and the Maldives’ Anti-Corruption Commission, policing, judicial training, and sports cooperation. The two countries also discussed increasing trade using national currencies and initiated talks on a Free Trade Agreement (FTA), with other economic aid requests under consideration. A joint vision statement for economic and maritime security was released, highlighting the inauguration of a runway at Hanimadhoo Island and India’s agreement to refit a Maldivian Coast Guard ship, Huravee, at an Indian facility.
- Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun were awarded the 2024 Nobel Prize for Medicine for their groundbreaking discovery of microRNA and its pivotal role in post-transcriptional gene regulation. MicroRNA are molecules that help cells regulate protein production by binding with messenger RNA (mRNA) to control the timing of protein synthesis, impacting crucial biological processes. Ambros and Ruvkun’s research on the roundworm C. elegans led to the discovery that lin-4 microRNA regulates the lin-14 gene by preventing protein production, revealing a new layer of gene regulation beyond roundworms. Their work has major implications for understanding gene regulation in normal cell development and diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and congenital disorders. The study of microRNA offers insights into treating conditions linked to gene regulation errors. Ambros, a professor at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, and Ruvkun, a professor at Harvard Medical School, have made lasting contributions to medicine by opening new pathways to understanding genetic diseases.
- The union ministry of environment and forests has issued a draft notification identifying 322 sq km forest area in Kappatagudda wildlife sanctuary as ecologically sensitive zone (ESZ).
- India’s academic freedom ranking has taken a significant hit over the past decade, plummeting from 0.6 points to 0.2 points between 2013 and 2023, according to the “Free to Think 2024” report by Scholars at Risk. This decline is largely attributed to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party’s efforts to exert political control and impose a Hindu nationalist agenda on universities, as well as policies limiting student protests. The Academic Freedom Index now classifies India as “completely restricted,” its lowest score since the mid-1940s.
- Shardul Vihan and Sabeera Haris shot 138 and won the mixed trap bronze medal in the World junior shooting championship that concluded in Lima.
- The Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT) is set to open its first overseas campus at the iconic India Pavilion in Dubai’s Expo City, marking a significant milestone in its expansion. As an autonomous body under the Ministry of Commerce since 1963, IIFT has established itself as a premier business institution focusing on foreign trade and international business research
- India participated in the 44th session of the Codex Committee on Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Uses (CCNFSDU) held in Dresden, Germany
- The National Anubhav Awards Scheme, 2025, is a groundbreaking initiative that encourages retiring and retired government employees to share their experiences and insights. Launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2015, the Anubhav portal has published 10,886 write-ups to date, with 78 outstanding entries receiving 59 Anubhav Awards and 19 Jury Certificates . For the first time, employees of Central Public Sector Undertakings, including Public Sector Banks, are eligible to participate alongside Central Government employees
