Why in news ?

Latest edition of UNESCO Science Report (USR) was published which is entitled as “race against time for smarter development”.

About USR

• USR is a flagship publication of UNESCO which is published once every five years.
• It is a report on science, technology and innovation (STI).
• Every edition comprises of a chapter on India.
• Chapter on India in latest edition was authored by Prof Sunil Mani, director at Centre for Development Studies, Thiruvananthapuram.
• This chapter provides an overview of STI developments in India along with suggestions and recommendations

Why in news ?

Recently, WHO tagged B.1.617.2 strain of coronavirus as ‘Delta’ variant, which now has further mutated. Mutated form of Delta variant is being termed as “Delta Plus” or “AY.1” variant.

About:

• Delta variant was identified as one of the factors of second wave of coronavirus infections in India.
• Initial data shows that, Delta plus variant have resistance against monoclonal antibody cocktail treatment, which was recently authorised by Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) for COVID-19 treatment.

Delta plus variant

Variant B.1.617.2.1 of coronavirus is known as AY.1 which is characterized by acquisition of K417N mutation. Delta plus variant was identified in six genomes in India as of now. Health agency has also confirmed the presence of 63 genomes of Delta variant with the new K417N mutation. However, there is

no immediate cause for concern since prevalence of Delta plus Variant is still low in India.

Why in news ?

US President Joe Biden is to sign a law to make June 19 or “Juneteenth” a national holiday. This holiday will be recognized by federal government to commemorating end of slavery after American Civil War.

About:

• Bill to establish Juneteenth National Independence Day was supported in both houses of US Congress and now needs to be approved by White House to become law.
• It was passed in the backdrop of killing of George Floyd that triggered anti-racism protests in US.
• Juneteenth is going to be first new federal holiday created in almost four decades.

What is Juneteenth?

Juneteenth, combination of June and nineteenth, is observed on June 19 every year. It is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of end of slavery in America. The day is recognized as holiday in 47 US states and District of Columbia. Juneteenth is also known as Emancipation Day or Juneteenth Independence Day.

Background

Juneteenth celebration started in 1866 from state of Texas, with community-centric events like cookouts, parades, prayer gatherings, historical & cultural readings and musical performances. While, era of “Modern Juneteenth Movement” started in 1994 from New Orleans in Louisiana with objective of greater recognition of Juneteenth.

Why in news ?

Union Cabinet has approved ‘Deep Ocean Mission’ proposed by Ministry of Earth Sciences to conduct study on biodiversity, impact of climate change and to establish an offshore marine station in order to explore source of thermal energy.

About:

• Mission will explore Deep Ocean for resources and help in development of deep-sea technologies for sustainable use of ocean resources.
• Mission will be completed in an estimated budget of Rs 4,077 crores in five-year period.
• It will be implemented in phases. First phase will be implemented during 2021-2024.
• Estimated cost for first phase for three years is Rs 2,823.4 crore.
• Ministry of Earth Sciences will be the nodal ministry to implement this mission.

Which countries conduct such mission?

Such technology and expertise is currently available with five countries Russia, US, France, Japan and China. India will be sixth country to have it now.

Deep Ocean Mission

It is an Indian initiative to undertake deep ocean exploration. It focuses on India’s exclusive economic zones and continental shelf. Mission comprise of various manned and unmanned submersibles to explore sea bed. Main aim of this mission is to explore & extract polymetallic nodules which are composed of minerals such as nickel, manganese, copper, cobalt and iron hydroxide. These metals are useful in manufacturing electronic devices, smartphones, solar panels and batteries.

Why in news ?

According to Power and Renewable Energy Minister R K Singh, a committee will be set up comprising of members from all relevant Ministries to implement Roadmap on Energy Efficiency and low carbon technologies.

About:

• This was highlighted during a high-level meeting of reviewing progress of several energy efficiency programmes and preparedness for Climate Change Actions in India.
• Activities in the field of energy efficiency across all sectors of economy was discussed with the objective of reducing CO2 emissions.
• It was directed to focus on sectors having highest emissions intensity like Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME), Transport and Power plants.
• Activities defined under Mission document ROSHANEE was also discussed. Mission document ROSANEE has been developed to implement several Energy Conservation schemes across India.

Mission ROSHANEE

This mission has been developed by Bureau of Energy Efficiency along with Mission UNNATEE. Both the missions lay down Sector wise action plan for period 2021-2030. Mission ROSHANEE envisages several activities in the field of energy efficiency across different sectors of economy. It aims to reduce­­ CO₂ emissions by more than 550 million tonnes by 2030.

Why in news ?

India has extended a USD 100 million Line of Credit to Sri Lanka to finance projects in solar energy sector.

About:

• Agreement was signed between Sri Lankan government and Export-Import Bank of India.
• This LOC will also ensure that Sri Lanka’s 70 percent power requirements are fulfilled by renewable energy sources by 2030.
• LOC will also finance solar energy projects in Sri Lanka, announced during Founding Conference of International Solar Alliance (ISA) in 2018. It includes project like rooftop solar photo-voltaic systems for households and government buildings.

Why in news ?

Kerala cabinet has given the approval to begin acquiring land for the SilverLine Project.

About:

• SilverLine Project is Kerala’s semi high-speed railway project that aims to reduce travel time between Kerala’s northern and southern ends.
• Distance: The railway line will be around 529 kms long, covering 11 districts through 11 stations. It will link the southern end and state capital Thiruvananthapuram with its northern end of Kasaragod.
• Implementation: The Kerala Rail Development Corporation Limited(KRDCL) will execute this project.
  • KRDCL is a joint venture between the Kerala government and the Union Ministry of Railways.
• Significance of the Project: Once the project is completed, one can travel from Kasaragod to Thiruvananthapuram in less than four hours on trains travelling at 200 km/hr. The current travel time on the existing Indian Railways network is 12 hours.
• Duration of the Project: The deadline for the project is 2025.

Why in news ?

The NATO Summit was held recently in Brussels. During the summit, countries agreed to step up their collective defence against threats from all directions.

About NATO:

• North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) also called North Atlantic Alliance is an intergovernmental military alliance.
• Formed in: NATO was formed in 1949 with the signing of the Washington Treaty.
• Members: It consists of 30 countries from North America and Europe.
  • The most recent member state is North Macedonia, included in NATO in 2020.
• Headquarters: Brussels, Belgium.

Why in news ?

The 10th edition of the World Giving Index (WGI) 2021 has been released.

About:

• The World Giving Index (WGI) is published by the Charities Aid Foundation(CAF).
• Parameters: The index provides combined insight into the scope and nature of giving around the world. It looks at three aspects of giving behaviour and asks: Have you done any of the following in the past month?
  • Helped a stranger or someone you didn’t know who needed help?
  • Donated money to a charity?
  • Volunteered your time to an organization?
• Data Source: The index uses data gathered by Gallup and ranks countries in the world according to how charitable they are.
  • The report includes the results of 1.6 million individuals interviewed across the globe since 2009.
    • What are the Key Findings of the World Giving Index 2021?

 India:

• India is among the top 20 generous countries in the world. It has been ranked 14th position in the Index.
  • This is a significant improvement from the 10-year global rank of 82.
• In India, at least 61% of Indians helped strangers. Meanwhile, 34% volunteered for a cause and 36% donated money.

Why in news ?

Researchers from the Indian Statistical Institute had carried out extensive studies on rocks of the Yerrapalli Formation in Telangana during the mid-20th Century. During that time, they uncovered several fossils. By studying some of these fossils, the team has now provided information on one of the reptiles(Bharitalasuchus tapani).

What information they have provided on the Bharitalasuchus tapani?

• The reptile has been named Bharitalasuchus tapani. It is a carnivorous reptile that lived 240 million years ago.
  • In the Telugu language, Bhari means huge, Tala means head, and Suchus is the name of the Egyptian crocodile-headed deity.
• Named after: The reptile has been named after palaeontologist Tapan Roy Chowdhury. For his contribution to Indian vertebrate palaeontology, and especially his extensive work at Yerrapalli Formation.
• Genus: The reptile belonged to a family of extinct reptiles named Erythrosuchidae.
• Key Features:
  • Bharitalasuchus Tapani was robust animals with big heads and large teeth, and these probably predated other smaller reptiles.
  • They were approximately the size of an adult male lion and might have been the largest predators in their ecosystems.