Current Context : The 64^th International Sugar Organisation (ISO) council meeting is chaired by India held in New Delhi from 25th till 27th June, 2024.

ABOUT INTERNATIONAL SUGAR ORGANISATION

• It is an inter-governmental body affiliated by
• Established in 1968.
• Members : about 85 member countries covering almost 90% of sugar production in the World.
• Headquarters : London, United Kingdom.
• Aim : to bring major sugar producing, consuming and trading nations together to understanding and progressive approach in dealing with issues pertaining to the sugar sector.
• Organisation is also working on biofuels, especially ethanol as sugarcane is the second major feedstock for ethanol production in the world.
• Brazil is the top sugar producer in the world.
• India is the largest consumer and second largest producer of sugar in the world with about 15 per cent share in global sugar consumption and about 20 per cent in production.

Current Context : Ministry of Coal launched India’s First Ever Pilot project for Underground Coal Gasification in Jharkhand.

Aim : to revolutionize the coal industry by using in-situ coal gasification.

ABOUT COAL GASIFICATION

• It is a process to convert underground coal into gasses like methane, hydrogen, carbon monoxide (CO), and carbon dioxide (CO2 ).
• These gases can be utilized to produce synthetic natural gas, chemical feedstocks for fuels, fertilizers, explosives, and other industrial applications.
• In gasification process, coal is oxidised by air, oxygen, steam, or CO2 under controlled conditions to produce a liquid fuel known as syngas.
• Syngas is a mixture of CO and hydrogen, and produce gaseous fuels like Methane and is used for power generation.

Current Context : Recently, Kerala Assembly passed a resolution urging the Centre to rename the state as “Keralam’’ in the Constitution.

• The resolution was moved by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

WHY NAMED KERALAM?

• Kerala is the English word for the Malyali Keralam. There are several theories regarding its etymological roots.
• The earliest mention of the word Keralam can be found in Emperor Ashoka’s Rock Edict II, dated to 257 BCE.

PROCEDURE FOR RENAMING OF STATES

• Article 3 of Constitution deals with the renaiming of states.
• It empowers Parliament to alter the name of any State by law.
• It can be initiated by the Parliament or State Legislature.
• Bill may be introduced in Parliament on recommendation of President.
• President referrs to state Legislature for expressing their views.
• Majority needed : Simple majority.

Current Context : Om Birla is elected Lok Sabha Speaker for the second time in a row for the 18^th Lok Sabha Speaker.

ABOUT

• The speaker of the Lok Sabha is the presiding officer and the highest authority of the Lok Sabha, the lower house of the Parliament of India.
• Article 93 of the Constitution deals with the Speaker of the Lok Sabha
• The Speaker is elected from among the members of the lower house of the Parliament by simple majority.
• Removal : The Speaker holds the position until the House is dissolved or he/she resigns or is removed from office by a resolution passed by a majority of all the members of the Lok Sabha. Article 94.
• Function: The Speaker of the Lok Sabha conducts the business in house, and decides whether a bill is a money bill or not and maintains discipline and decorum in the house.

Current Context : Recently, The newly elected Members of Parliament (MP) of the 18th Lok Sabha have sworn oath.

• Newly elected members will have to take the oath of Members of Parliament (MP) to debate and vote in the Parliament.

CONSTITUTIONAL PROVISIONS

• Article 99 of the constitutions deals with oaths of office of the MPs.
• Oath is subscribed before the President or some person appointed by him.
• The forms of oath are provided in the Third Schedule.
• Article 104 provides a penalty for a member if he/she sits in the House without the oath.
• Exception : An individual can become a minister without being elected to Parliament and he/she can take part in proceedings of the house (without having the power to vote).
• Oaths can be subscribed in English or any of the 22 Scheduled languages.

Current Context : Recently, India and the US held discussions on the co-production of American javelin missiles in India.

• The Javelin anti-tank missiles will enable the Indian Army to boost the weapon system.

ABOUT JAVELIN ANTI-TANK WEAPON SYSTEM

• It is an infrared-guided anti-tank missile system.
• It is known for its precision and ability to destroy tanks from a shoulder launch.
• It is developed jointly by American Raytheon and Lockheed Martin.
• It is famous for its ability to lock onto its target before launch and its “fire-and-forget” capability, allowing the operator to take cover immediately after firing.
• Technology : infrared guidance technology to ensure high accuracy.
• Range : 65m to 4,000m
• It carries a single 8.4 kg tandem-charge, high-explosive antitank (HEAT) warhead.
• Reload Time : around one minute.

Current Context : Uttar Pradesh will establish World’s first Asian king vulture Conservation & Breeding Centre in Maharajganj.

• It will improve the population of critically endangered species listed in the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s red list since 2007.
• The centre is named as Jatayu Conservation and Breeding Centre.
• Objective : to ensure the good health of growing vultures and provide them with a pair.

ABOUT ASIAN KING VULTURE

• It is one of the 9 species of Vulture which are found in India.
• It is also known as the Asian King vulture or Pondicherry Vulture.
• IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered
• Wildlife Protection Act, 1972: Schedule 1
• These are endangered due to the loss of their habitats and the excessive use of diclofenac, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, in domestic animals, which becomes poisonous for vultures.

Current Context : Srinagar has become the fourth Indian city to be recognised as a ‘World Craft City’

• It was recognised by the World Craft Council (WCC).
• The achievement follows Srinagar’s recognition as a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Creative City for Crafts in 2021.
• It is recognised due to its rich heritage and the exceptional skills of its artisans leading to global acclaim.
• Indian cities that have been recognised as World Craft Cities are Jaipur, Malappuram and Mysore.

ABOUT WCC

• Established in 2014 by International World Crafts Council.
• It established a dynamic network of craft cities across the globe, aligning with the principles of creative economy.
• It recognized the role of local authorities, craftspeople and communities in cultural, economic, and social development worldwide.

General Studies Paper-3 

Context: Government enhanced allocation for the Fertilizer Sector under SIGHT Programme of the National Green Hydrogen Mission (NGHM).

About National Green Hydrogen Mission (NGHM)

• The Union Cabinet has approved the National Green Hydrogen Mission in January in 2023 and the initial outlay for the Mission is 19,744 crore, including an outlay of Rs.17,490 crore for the SIGHT programme, Rs.1,466 crore for pilot projects, Rs.400 crore for R&D, and Rs. 388 crores towards other Mission components.

The Mission will result in the following likely outcomes by 2030:

• Development of green hydrogen production capacity of at least 5 MMT (Million Metric Tonne) per annum with an associated renewable energy capacity addition of about 125 GW in the country
• Over Rs. Eight lakh crores in total investments
• Creation of over Six lakh jobs
• Cumulative reduction in fossil fuel imports over Rs. One lakh crore
• Abatement of nearly 50 MMT of annual greenhouse gas emissions

Latest Developments

• Under the Mission, MNRE had issued the Scheme Guidelines for implementation of SIGHT Programme – Component II: Incentive for Procurement of Green Ammonia Production (under Mode2A) of the NGHM in January 2024.
  • Mode 2A caters to the requirements of the fertilizer sector.
  • As per the said Guidelines, the capacity available for bidding under Tranche I of Mode 2A was 5,50,000 tonnes per annum of Green Ammonia.
• This is a significant step towards demand creation of Green Hydrogen and its derivatives in the country.

Importance

• It will contribute to India’s goal to become Aatmanirbhar (self-reliant) through clean energy and serve as an inspiration for the global Clean Energy Transition.
• It will lead to significant decarbonization of the economy, reduced dependence on fossil fuel imports, and enable India to assume technology and market leadership in Green Hydrogen.

Current Context : Recently, Pakistani delegation recently arrived in Jammu as part of ongoing discussions concerning the Indus Water Treaty (IWT).

ABOUT INDUS WATER TREATY (IWT)

• It was signed between India and Pakistan for regulating the use and distribution of the Indus River water.
• It was signed in 1960 by Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and former Pakistan President Ayub Khan.
• It was arranged and negotiated by the World Bank.
• The pact sought to divide the water of the Indus River and its tributaries (Sutlej, Beas, Ravi, Jhelum, and Chenab) equitably among the two countries.
• Under the treaty, control over the water of three eastern rivers – Beas, Ravi and Sutlej was allocated to India, and water from the three western rivers – Chenab, Indus and Jhelum were allocated to