Current Context : Recently, India-IORA Cruise Tourism Conference was held In New Delhi.

• IORA Member States including Bangladesh, Kenya, Madagascar, Maldives, Mozambique, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Seychelles and Tanzania participated in the Conference.

ABOUT INDIAN OCEAN RIM ASSOCIATION (IORA)

• It is an intergovernmental organisation established to promote economic cooperation and regional integration among countries bordering the Indian Ocean.
• Aim : to work on various initiatives related to trade, investment and sustainable development in the Indian Ocean region (IOR).
• Established on 7 March 1997
• Currently IORA have 23 Member States.

IT HAS TWO OBSERVERS GROUPS

• The Indian Ocean Research Group (IORG)
• The Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association (WIOMSA)

Celebrated on 18 June.

• It is celebrated by autistic people and their advocators to identify the significance of pride for autistic people and its vital role in bringing about positive changes in society at large.
• Theme : Taking the Mask Off.
• First Autistic Pride Day was celebrated in Brazil in 2005.
• This day was created by Gareth and Amy Nelson.

ABOUT AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER

• Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurological and developmental disorder that affects how people interact with others, communicate, learn, and behave.

Current Context: As part of the 25th year celebration of Kargil war victory over Pakistan, a team of the Indian Army has embarked on a pan-India motorcycle expedition from Dhanuskhodi (Tamil Nadu) to Dras (UT of Ladakh).

OPERATION VIJAY

• In India, the conflict is also referred to as Operation Vijay, which was the codename of the Indian military operation in the region.
• The Indian Air Force acted jointly with the Indian Army to flush out the Pakistan Army and paramilitary troops from vacated Indian positions along the LoC.
• The war came to an end on 26 July 1999, marking a significant victory for India.
• Ever since the victory in Operation Vijay, 26 July is celebrated as the ‘Kargil Vijay Diwas’ every year.

Current Context: The Pantanal wetlands in Brazil are experiencing an alarming increase in wildfires due to exceptionally dry weather patterns.

ABOUT PANTANAL WETLAND

• The Pantanal, situated in the heart of South America, is the world’s largest tropical wetland.
• It primarily lies within Brazil but extends into Bolivia and Paraguay. It is a unique and complex ecosystem, characterized by its seasonal flooding cycles. 
• It is a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site and Biosphere Reserve, indicating its global importance for biodiversity and conservation.

Current Context: World Health Organization (WHO) has designated the National Institute of Indian Medical Heritage, Hyderabad as a WHO Collaborating Centre for ‘Fundamental and Literary Research in Traditional Medicine’.

• India has a rich heritage of traditional medicine that includes Ayurveda, Yoga, Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, Sowa Rigpa, and Homeopathy.

PRACTICES:

• Ayurveda and Yoga are practised widely across the country.
• The Siddha system is followed predominantly in Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
• The Sowa-Rigpa system is practised mainly in Leh-Ladakh and Himalayan regions such as Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Darjeeling, Lahaul & Spiti.

Current Context : 17 June 2024 will mark the 30th anniversary of the Bonn-based United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD).

ABOUT UNITED NATIONS CONVENTION TO COMBAT DESERTIFICATION (UNCCD)

• It was adopted in 1994 and it is the first and only internationally legally binding framework set up to address the problem of desertification.
• Members:  There are 197 Parties to the Convention, including 196 country Parties and the European Union.
• Focused areas: It addresses specifically the arid, semi-arid, and dry sub-humid areas, known as the drylands, where some of the most vulnerable ecosystems and peoples can be found.
• Status of India: India became a signatory to UNCCD on 14th October 1994 and ratified it on 17th December 1996.
• The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change is the nodal Ministry in the Government of India for the UNCCD, and Desertification Cell is the nodal point within the Ministry to co-ordinate all issues pertaining to the Convention.

Current Context : The Union government will announce a Rs 2,800 crore Digital Agriculture Mission.

• Digital Agriculture Mission will pave the way for creation of a nationwide farmers registry, crop sown registry, and georeferencing of village maps.

COMPONENTS

• One of the components of the mission is to create a farmers’ registry, in which every farmer will be given a unique ID.
• The mission also envisages a crop sown registry.
• This will have a record of crops sown by a farmer on his land.
• It will help better planning and estimation of crop production.

Current Context : 300 women Scientists to get research grants for 3 years under CSIR- ASPIRE scheme.

• As per the CSIR-ASPIRE (A Special Call for Research Grants for Women Scientists)programme women scientists can apply to carry out R&D in life sciences, chemical sciences, physical sciences, engineering sciences, and interdisciplinary sciences.

ABOUT COUNCIL OF SCIENTIFIC AND INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH (CSIR)

• CSIR is a R&D organization known for its cutting-edge R&D knowledge base in diverse S&T areas.
• It was established as an autonomous body in 1942 and Headquartered in New Delhi.

Current Context: The President of India attended the Raja Parb celebration at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

• This is the first occasion when the Raja Parb was celebrated at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

ABOUT RAJA PARB CELEBRATION

• It is an agriculture-based festival of Odisha and it is one of the most celebrated festivals.
• The three-day-long agricultural festival is celebrated during the onset of monsoons. Women and children celebrate this festival with immense fervour.

Celebrated on 17 June.

• Theme: “United for Land. Our Legacy. Our Future”.
• Aim: to raise awareness about the urgent need for sustainable development and the welfare of people affected by desertification and drought.
• In December 1994, the United Nations General Assembly established World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought to highlight the necessity of global cooperation in addressing these critical issues.
• India’s Commitment: India has set an ambitious target to restore 26 million hectares of degraded land by 2030.