Why in news ?

Indian Institute of Technology, Ropar has developed a device named ‘Jivan Vayu’.

About:

• Jivan Vayu is a Continuous Positive Airway Pressure(CPAP) device. It can be used as a substitute for existing CPAP machines.

Key Features of the Device:

• Firstly, it is India’s first CPAP device that functions even without electricity.
• Secondly, the device is adapted to both kinds of oxygen generation units like O2 cylinders and oxygen pipelines in hospitals.
• Thirdly, the device can deliver high flow oxygen up to 60 Litres per Minute (LPM).
• Fourthly, the device has an inbuilt viral filter which ensures that the air does not bring in any pathogens from the environment.

• Significance: This device is especially important during the present Covid-19 pandemic. Further, the power supply is the key concern for saving lives of those on medical equipment such as ventilators and oxygen concentrators.

Why in news ?

Amazon founder and billionaire Jeff Bezos’s space company named Blue Origin has concluded the online auction for the first seat on the New Shephard rocket system. It is a rocket system meant to take tourists to space.

About:

• New Shephard is a reusable rocket system that has been designed to take astronauts and research payloads past the Karman line – the internationally recognized boundary of space.
• Built by: The rocket system has been built by Blue Origin, space company of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.
• Named after: The rocket system has been named after astronaut Alan Shephard – the first American to go to space.

Why in news ?

The Minister of Jal Shakti has urged all MPs to support the ongoing “Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch The Rain” campaign in their respective constituencies and states.

• Such interventions would ensure water source sustainability in rural areas and would strengthen the ongoing Jal Jeevan Mission being implemented by the Ministry.

About:

• The Abhiyan with the theme- “Catch the Rain where it falls, when it falls’ was launched on the occasion of world water day (22^ndMarch 2021).
• It covers all rural and urban areas of all districts of the country.
  • Jal Shakti Abhiyan-I of 2019, covered only 1592 water stressed blocks out of 2836 blocks in 256 districts of the country.
• National Water Mission, under the Ministry of Jal Shakti, is the nodal agency for its implementation.
• A total of almost Rs. 14,000 Cr worth of water conservation related work is completed/ongoing under the MGNREGS (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme) of Dept of Rural Development.

Why in news ?

Recently, the Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare addressed the 42^nd session of Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) Conference.

Food and Agriculture Organization

• FAO is a specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger.
• World Food Day is celebrated every year on 16^thOctober to mark the anniversary of the founding of the FAO in 1945.
• It is one of the UN food aid organisations based in Rome (Italy). Its sister bodies are the World Food Programme and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).

Initiatives Taken:

• Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS).
• Monitors the Desert Locust situation throughout the world.
• The Codex Alimentarius Commission or CAC is the body responsible for all matters regarding the implementation of the Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme.
• The International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture.

Why in news ?

• Kerala-based Thomas Vijayan,who is now settled in Canada, has won the 2021 Nature TTL Photography Awards for his photo of an Orangutan clinging to a tree. The photograph is titled ‘The World is Going Upside Down’.
• Vijayan was adjudged as the overall winner of the competition from over 8,000 entriesfor Nature TTL Photographer of the Year 2021, which carries a grand prize of 1,500 pounds (Rs.1.5 lakh). Nature TTL is the world’s leading online nature photography resource.

Why in news ?

• The Managing Director of Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (Amul), R.S. Sodhi, was conferred with the regional award as Asia Pacific Productivity Champion from Asian Productivity Organization (APO), Tokyo, Japan in recognition of enhanced productivity and efficient milk supply chain.
• He is the first Indian to have received the prestigious award, in the last 20 years. The award is conferred to eligible individuals who have significantly contributed to advancing the productivity movement in the Asia-Pacific region and those in a specific member economy of the APO.
• The APO regional awards are conferred every five years and each country can nominate only one candidate out of all nominations. Every five years only five regional nominees receive the award. Sodhi received the award on behalf of 3.6 million dairy farmers

Why in news ?

The first commercial consignment of Geographical Indications (GI) certified Jardalu mangoes from Bhagalpur; Bihar was exported to the United Kingdom.

About:

• Jardalu Mangoes is grown in the Bhagalpur district of Bihar. It received the Geographical Indications(GI) certification in 2018.
• The mango is famous for its exclusive aroma, sweetness and other nutritional properties.
• It is rich in fibre and enzymes that are highly beneficial to the abdominal muscles and digestive system.
• Moreover, Jardalu mango is also considered a safe fruit for even those who have been diagnosed with diabetes or have a poor digestive system.

Why in news ?

Stockholm International Peace Research Institute(SIPRI) has released the SIPRI Yearbook 2021. The report assesses the current state of armaments, disarmament and international security.

About:

• Nine Nuclear-Armed States- the US, Russia, UK, France, China, India, Pakistan, Israel and North Korea together possessed an estimated 13,080 nuclear weapons at the start of 2021.
• Russia and the U.S. together possessed over 90% of global nuclear weapons. Further, both of them have an extensive and expensive modernisation programme underway.
• China is in the middle of significant modernisation and expansion of its nuclear weapon inventory. India and Pakistan also appear to be expanding their nuclear arsenals.
• India possessed an estimated 156 nuclear warheads at the start of 2021 compared to 150 at the start of 2020.
  • On the other hand, Pakistan had 165 warheads, up from 160 in 2020. China’s nuclear arsenal consisted of 350 warheads, up from 320 at the start of 2020.
• Concerns: The overall number of nuclear warheads in global military stockpiles appears to be increasing. This is a worrying sign as the declining trend that started since the end of the Cold War has stalled.

Why in news ?

While speaking at UN Trade Forum 2021, Union Minister Piyush Goyal has said, India’s per-capita carbon dioxide emission is lowest amongst big economies.

About:

• India has an ambitious renewable energy target of 450 Gigawatts by 2030. It shows India’s commitment towards United Nations 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development and Sustainable Development Goals.
• He highlighted that, Climate justice should be protected and developed countries should reconsider their pattern of consumption to bring about a sustainable lifestyle.
• According to minister, India has taken several steps on clean energy, energy efficiency, afforestation and bio-diversity.
• India has also encouraged global initiatives such as International Solar Alliance and coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure.
• About UN Trade Forum

UN Trade Forum was established as a space for dialogue on how trade can be harnessed to get a prosperous, inclusive and sustainable world.

Why in news ?

European Space Agency (ESA) will launch world’s first wooden satellite called WISA Woodsat in Earth’s orbit by the end 2021.

WISA Woodsat

It will be launched to test the applicability of wooden materials such as plywood in spacecraft structures. Mission will expose wooden materials to extreme space conditions like heat, cold, vacuum and radiation. Wooden satellite will be launched to space by end of 2021 with a Rocket Lab Electron rocket. It will be launched from Mahia Peninsula launch complex in New Zealand. Satellite has been designed and built in Finland.

Features of satellite

Satellite will orbit at around 500-600 km altitude in polar Sun-synchronous orbit. It is a10x10x10 cm nano satellite which was built up using standardised boxes and surface panels of plywood, which is usually found in hardware store and are used to make furniture. Wood have been placed in a thermal vacuum chamber to keep dry when it is in space. Thin layer of aluminium oxide has been applied to it to minimise vapour coming from wood and to protect it from erosive effects of atomic oxygen. The non-wooden external parts of satellite are corner aluminium rails which will be used for its deployment into space and a metal selfie stick.