Published on: November 6, 2024
Snippets : 5-6 NOVEMBER 2024
Snippets : 5-6 NOVEMBER 2024
- Karnataka has launched a new initiative to combat bonded labour, appointing 52 officials as ‘Bonded Labour Prohibition Officers’ to collect evidence, prosecute offenders, and raise awareness. Bonded labour involves individuals working to repay debts under coercive conditions without pay, punishable by up to three years imprisonment. Between 2016-2024, Karnataka reported 2,631 cases, freeing 4,397 labourers who received pensions and financial support (Rs 1-3 lakh). The initiative targets high-incidence districts and industries (agriculture, construction, textiles) and fulfills the Chief Minister’s 2024-25 budget promise to eradicate bonded labour.
- Scientists have released 1,000 fingerlings of the critically endangered Nilgiri Mystus into a Shivanasamudra ranching facility as part of conservation efforts. Once found in the Tungabhadra River, its population drastically declined over 30 years, nearing extinction. However, the species was rediscovered in 2019. The National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources initiated a breeding program, collecting brooders from Talakad and inducing natural spawning. Nilgiri Mystus acts as a key predator and indicator of river health in the Western Ghats, providing scavenger services. Future plans include releasing fingerlings into the Cauvery River and conducting awareness programs.
- Karnataka has introduced a single-window system to guarantee necessary clearances for business proposals within 100 days, responding to competitive pressures from neighboring states. Developed by Microsoft, the system integrates 33 departments and 147 services, aiming to reduce approval timelines from the current 300 days. The initiative includes familiarization training for government officials, a new website showcasing investment opportunities, and UMA, an AI-powered interactive platform providing voice-based information in multiple languages.
- India will launch two European Space Agency (ESA) satellites, Proba-3, from Sriharikota Spaceport on December 4 to study the Sun’s corona. The mission involves a Coronagraph Satellite and an Occulter Satellite, which will maintain a precise formation 144 meters apart, creating a “virtual giant satellite” to observe solar phenomena. Launched on ISRO’s PSLV, this marks ESA’s first dual-satellite formation with such precision and its first launch from India since 2001. The mission enables Indian and European scientists to study the Sun’s corona, demonstrating India’s capability to support complex international missions.
- On November 5, 2024, the world’s first wooden satellite, LignoSat, was launched aboard a SpaceX mission to test wood’s viability in space exploration. Developed by Kyoto University and Sumitomo Forestry, LignoSat is made from honoki wood and aims to demonstrate timber’s potential for construction and habitation on the Moon and Mars. The NASA-certified satellite will stay in orbit for six months, enduring extreme temperatures and testing wood’s durability in space, with potential benefits for reducing space radiation impact and environmental pollution.
- The Indian government is launching the Mahabharata Circuit, a new religious tourism initiative, following the success of the Ramayana and Krishna circuits. This project aims to attract visitors to sites related to the ancient epic in Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand, with over ₹200 crore allocated to develop the circuit in Haryana. Key sites include Kurukshetra’s Brahma Sarovar, Sri Krishna Museum, Bhishma Kund, and Jyotisar, as well as other attractions like Bhadrakali Temple and Sthaneshwar Mahadev Temple in Haryana.
- The upcoming COP29 climate summit is set to commence amid a significant funding gap for global biodiversity conservation, as wealthy nations appear to have reached their limits in financial contributions. At the recent COP16 negotiations in Cali, Colombia, countries struggled to devise a plan to mobilize the required $200 billion annually in conservation funding by 2030, which includes a target of $30 billion from affluent nations. Despite the pledges made two years ago as part of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework agreement to finance nature-boosting initiatives like sustainable farming and wildlife reserve protection, the talks at COP16 failed to reach a consensus, with discussions dragging on past the scheduled conclusion on November 2. Human activities and climate change continue to threaten approximately one million plant and animal species, exacerbating the urgency for funding. As countries prepare for COP29 in Azerbaijan, there remains a pressing need for wealthy nations to provide financial support to poorer counterparts facing climate-related challenges. However, developed nations have shown reluctance to increase their cash contributions, with cuts to foreign aid budgets evident in several European countries, and a decline in government development money for nature conservation from $4.6 billion in 2015 to $3.8 billion in 2022, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
- Alstonia scholaris, commonly known as the blackboard tree or Saptaparna, is an evergreen tropical tree native to the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia, and southern China. It grows 10-40 meters tall, with dark grey bark, whorled leaves in clusters of seven, and small, fragrant greenish-white flowers blooming in late autumn and early winter. Traditionally used in medicine for respiratory issues, fever, skin disorders, and digestive problems, its soft wood was historically used for making writing slates and blackboards. Classified as “Least Concern” by the IUCN, Alstonia scholaris has been cited in ancient Indian texts like Charaka and Sushrutha Samhithas, and its flowering period brings relief to those with allergies and asthma.
- Recently, the Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister announced that the upcoming Durgesh Aranya Zoological Park will become India’s first zoo to earn certification from the Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) for sustainable and eco-friendly infrastructure.
- With an aim to promote new and young talent in the country, the 55th edition of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) brings to you a new award category: ‘Best Debut Director of Indian Feature Film’ which will showcase five remarkable debut films that highlight new perspectives, diverse narratives, and innovative cinematic styles from across India. IFFI, scheduled to be held from November 20-28, 2024, announced its official selection in the Best Debut Director of Indian Feature Film category.
- FTII’s student film ‘Sunflowers Were The First Ones To Know’ qualifies for Oscars in the Live Action Short Film Category. This short film has been directed by FTII student Chidananda S Naik and had earlier this year won the first Prize at the Cannes Film Festival’s La Cinef Selection, which led to global recognition for this Kannada- language project inspired by Indian folk stories and traditions.
- Pilikula Biological Park has just welcomed some exciting new additions – a six-year-old Asiatic lion, a wolf, two gharial crocodiles, and four rare birds, including two silver pheasants and two yellow-golden pheasants, from Nandankanan Zoological Park in Odisha . This animal exchange program, approved by the Central Zoo Authority, aims to provide companions for solitary animals and preserve pure bloodlines. In return, Pilikula Zoo will send four dhole/wild dogs, four rare reticulated pythons, two brahminy kites, three Asian palm civets, and two large egrets to Nandankanan Zoo . The newly arrived animals will spend 15 days in quarantine before being available for public viewing. This exchange sets a new record for the longest distance traveled by animals in Pilikula Zoo’s animal exchange program, approximately 2,000 kilometers from Nandankanan Zoo . The zoo is also planning to introduce unique species like the Anaconda and Humboldt penguin, which is expected to boost revenue and make the zoo self-sustaining
- Indian professional boxer Mandeep Jangra won the World Boxing Federation’s super featherweight world title after defeating Britain’s Conor McIntosh in the Cayman Islands.
- The Tumaini Festival, founded in 2014, is a unique cultural event held annually within Malawi’s Dzaleka Refugee Camp, bringing together refugees and locals through music, art, and crafts. As the only festival of its kind held within a refugee camp, it fosters community, solidarity, and cultural exchange, attracting thousands of attendees and featuring global performances showcasing music, dance, theatre, and visual arts. Organized and managed by refugees, the festival received the 2024 Cultures of Resistance Award. Held in Malawi, a landlocked Southeastern African country with stunning highlands and lakes, including Lake Malawi, the festival takes place in Dzaleka Refugee Camp, established in 1994 to support displaced people from Burundi, Rwanda, DRC, Somalia, Ethiopia, and other countries, and now a symbol of hope and resilience.
- Glacial lakes and other water bodies across the Himalayan region saw a 10.81% increase in area from 2011 to 2024 due to climate change, signalling a heightened risk of Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs), according to a Central Water Commission’s (CWC) report.
- Himachal Pradesh’s Chief Minister recently launched water sports activities at Gobind Sagar Lake, a 90 km long manmade reservoir spanning Una and Bilaspur districts. Named after Guru Gobind Singh, the lake is sourced from the Bhakra Dam, one of the world’s highest gravity dams, standing 225.5 m tall. With a depth of 163.07 m and covering 170 sq. km, Gobind Sagar is one of the deepest and largest man-made lakes globally, surrounded by lush hills and Himalayan peaks. It supplies irrigation water to Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan, supporting regional agriculture, and is India’s third-largest water storage reservoir.
- Major Ralengnao “Bob” Khathing, a Tangkhul Naga from Manipur’s Ukhrul district, was born on February 28, 1912. He became the first Manipuri to receive the King’s Commission during World War II . His bravery earned him the coveted Member of British Empire (MBE) and Military Cross (MC) awards for his role in galvanizing Naga support against the Japanese in Burma and India. Khathing’s impressive military career spanned commissions in the 9/11 Hyderabad Regiment, Assam Regiment, and Victor Force, a guerrilla outfit that combated Japanese forces on the Burma-India road . He also led the peaceful integration of Tawang into India and established crucial military and security frameworks, including the Sashastra Seema Bal, Nagaland Armed Police, and Naga Regiment. As India’s first tribal-origin ambassador to Burma (now Myanmar), Khathing paved the way for others to follow . Recently, the Defence Minister inaugurated the Major Ralengnao ‘Bob’ Khathing Museum of Valour at Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh
- Recently, Ningol Chakkouba festival was held with religious fervour and gaiety across the State of Manipur.
- The Indian Navy hosted the third MAHASAGAR virtual interaction on Nov 5, 2024, where Admiral Dinesh Kumar Tripathi engaged with maritime heads from Indian Ocean Region littorals, including Bangladesh, Comoros, Kenya, and others. Focused on “Training Cooperation to Mitigate Common Maritime Security Challenges,” MAHASAGAR promotes regional cooperation and active security. Launched in 2023, this bi-annual initiative has gained widespread acceptance, fostering growth and collaboration among participating nations.
- Indian Rare Earths Limited, (IREL) and Ust-Kamenogorsk Titanium and Magnesium Plant JSC, (UKTMP JSC) Kazakhstan Signed an Agreement to Establish Indo-Kazakh Joint Venture Company (JVC): IREUK Titanium Limited for production of Ti Slag in India
