Current Context : Ministry of Textiles empowered all ginners (who operate cotton gins which  separate cotton fibre  from seeds) in India to produce Kasturi Cotton Bharat brand.

ABOUT KASTURI COTTON

• “Kasturi” can also refer to “musk” in some Indian languages, a term often used metaphorically to denote something valued and precious.
• Kasturi Cotton is premium quality Cotton from India with 100% traceability & certification, utilizing blockchain technology for traceability.

Current Context : Purandar Highlands Farmers Producer Company Ltd is exporting its award-winning fig juice, made from GI-tagged Purandar Figs, to Poland.

• This marks the first time Indian fig juice will reach the European market.
• Purandar’s figs, known to be one of India’s finest figs are a GI commodity, known for their sweet taste, size, and nutritional benefits.

India-Poland Trade Relations: This export represents a strengthening of trade relations between India and Poland, contributing to economic growth and diversification of India’s export base.

Exports and Imports between two countries:

• Indian Exports to Poland : Major exports from India to Poland include pharmaceuticals, textiles, chemicals, machinery, and IT services, of worth 3959 million US dollars in 2023.
• Imports from Poland to India : Poland exports items of Polish, machinery, electrical equipment, chemicals, and other industrial products to India of worth 1761 million US dollars in 2023.

ABOUT GI TAG

• A GI tag is an intellectual property right that identifies a product as originating from a specific geographical location and possessing qualities or a reputation due to that origin.
• Goal : It ensures quality and authenticity, protects local producers from unauthorized use, and helps in promoting and preserving regional products.

Current Context : Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya in collaboration with Airbus has started its first executive training program for the aviation sector in New Delhi.

ABOUT GATI SHAKTI VISHWAVIDYALAYA

• It is India’s first transport University, formerly National Rail and Transportation Institute.
• Location : in Vadodara, Gujarat, India.
• Aim : to address the specialized needs of the transportation and logistics sectors. It seeks to bridge the skills gap and support the development of infrastructure by providing targeted education and research opportunities.
• Educational Focus: It offers programs related to transportation engineering, logistics management, infrastructure planning, and other related fields.
• Chancellor: Minister of Railways

Current Context : Ministry of Health and Family Welfare released details of Anemia Mukt Bharat Initiative.

• Objective : to reduce prevalence of anaemia in children, adolescents, and women in life cycle approach.
• The 6X6X6 strategy : aims to reduce anaemia among six beneficiary age groups-children 6-59 months, children 5-9 years, adolescents 10-19 years, women of reproductive age (15-49 years), pregnant women and lactating women through implementation of six interventions.

PROGRAMMES AND INITIATIVES BY GOVERNMENT :

• Mission Poshan 2.0 : to address the challenge of malnutrition and for improved health, wellness and immunity through community engagement, outreach, behavioral change, and advocacy.
• Focuses on Maternal Nutrition, Infant and Young Child Feeding Norms, treatment of Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM)/ Moderate Acute Malnutrition (MAM) and wellness through AYUSH practices to reduce wasting and underweight prevalence beside stunting and anaemia.

Current Context : After a devastating cloudburst 10 bodies have been recovered from the Sutlej and the Sunni dam area of Himachal Pradesh.

ABOUT SUNNI DAM

• Location : situated in the Shimla and Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh.
• Built on the Satluj River
• The dam plays a crucial role in controlling floods by regulating the flow of the Beas River during the monsoon season
• Irrigation: provide irrigation water to agricultural lands in the surrounding Shimla district.

Current Context : Indian wrestler, Vinesh Phogat announced her retirement from wrestling, following her disqualification from the Paris Olympic.

• She was disqualified after being found 100 grams overweight during the weigh-in ahead of her gold medal match.

ABOUT VINESH PHOGAT

• Vinesh Phogat is a prominent Indian wrestler who has made significant contributions to the sport both in India and internationally.
• Born on August 25, 1994 in Balali village, Haryana
• Achievements:
  • Asian Games: She won a gold medal in the 50 kg weight category at the 2018 Asian Games held in Jakarta, Indonesia.
  • Asian Wrestling Championships: Vinesh has won multiple medals, including gold, at the Asian Wrestling Championships.
  • Commonwealth Games: Gold medals at the 2014 and 2018 Commonwealth Games,

World Wrestling Championships: Bronze Medal in the 53 kg category held in Nur-Sulta,  Kazakhstan in 2019

Current Context : Central Government has declared Adichunchanagiri in Karnataka and Choolannuar in Kerala as Peacock Sanctuary.

About Choolannuar Peacock Sanctuary(Kerala)

• Location: situated in the Palakkad district of Kerala, India, near the Western Ghats.
• Area: It covers an area of approximately 30 square kilometers.

Habitat :

• Peafowl Habitat: The sanctuary provides a critical habitat for peafowls, offering a protected environment where they can thrive.
• Flora and Fauna: Apart from the peafowl, the sanctuary supports diverse wildlife including deer, wild boar, and numerous bird species. The vegetation includes dense forests and grasslands.

Adichunchanagiri Peacock Sanctuary (Karnataka)

• Location: situated in the Nagamangala Taluk of Mandya District in Karnataka, in the southern part of India.
• Area: It covers approximately 2.4 square kilometers.

Current Context : The 5th AITIGA Joint Committee and related meetings for review of ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement (AITIGA) were held in ASEAN Secretariat, Jakarta, Indonesia.

 ABOUT

• The ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement (AITIGA) is a significant trade pact aimed at enhancing economic cooperation between the ten member states of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and India.
• Aim : to boost trade in goods between ASEAN member states and India by reducing tariffs, simplifying trade procedures, and fostering economic integration.
• It was signed at the 7th ASEAN Economic Ministers-India Consultations in Bangkok, Thailand in 2009.
• The 4th Joint Committee meeting for the review of AITIGA (ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement) was held in Putrajaya, Malaysia

Current Context : The Boilers Bill, 2024 was introduced in Rajya Sabha  to replace the century-old Boilers Act, 1923.

• The new bill to replace a 100-year-old law aims to improve trust by decriminalising 3 out of 7 offences and ensuring speedy redressal for all non-criminal offences.
• For Ease of Doing Business (EoDB), the Bill will benefit boiler users, including those in the MSME sector, as provisions related to decriminalisation have been incorporated in the Bill.

About Boiler: A device used to generate steam or hot water by heating water or other fluids under pressure. The generated steam or hot water is then used for power generation, heating, or other industrial processes.

ABOUT BOILERS BILL 2024

• Aims to modernize and streamline the regulation of boilers and pressure vessels in India.
• It is aimed at ensuring the safe operation of boilers to prevent accidents and ensure compliance with safety standards.

Current Context : Recently,  Indian government has announced that scientists, engineers of Chandrayaan-3, Govindarajan Padmanabhan and others have been awarded with the Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar.

ABOUT

• The Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar (National Science Award) is an award conferred by the Government of India to recognize and honor outstanding contributions to the field of science and technology.
• Aims : to acknowledge and reward individuals and institutions for their significant contributions to scientific research, development, and promotion of science in India.
• Awarding Body: The award is presented by the Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India.
• The Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar has been given in the following 13 domains, namely: Physics, Chemistry, Biological Sciences, Mathematics & Computer Science, Earth Science, Medicine, Engineering Sciences, Agricultural Science, Environmental Science, Technology & Innovation, Atomic Energy, Space Science and Technology, and others.

RELATED AWARDS

• Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize: Another prestigious award given for outstanding contributions in science and technology in India.
• Padma Awards: Recognize exceptional contributions in various fields, including science and technology.