• Ambassador Indra Mani Pandey, a senior diplomat of India, assumed the position of Secretary General (SG) of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC).
• He succeeded Tenzin Lekphell of Bhutan, is the 4th SG of BIMSTEC and will remain in office for a period of three years.

ABOUT BIMSTEC

• The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) is a regional organization that was established on 06 June 1997 with the signing of the Bangkok Declaration.
• Initially known as BIST-EC (Bangladesh-India-Sri Lanka-Thailand Economic Cooperation), the organisation is now known as BIMSTEC and comprises seven Member States, with admission of Myanmar in 1997 and Bhutan and Nepal in 2004.
• The BIMSTEC Secretariat was established in Dhaka, Bangladesh in 2014.
• The BIMSTEC Charter was signed and adopted during the Fifth BIMSTEC Summit held in virtual format in Colombo, Sri Lanka, in 2022.

• The Drone Detect, Deter and Destroy system (D4S) is the first indigenously developed anti-drone system to be inducted into the Indian Armed Forces.
• Developed by- Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
• Manufactured by- Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL).
• Features include-
  • It can detect, track and identify rouge drones within 4 km range.
  • D4 system can instantly detect and jam micro drones (Soft kill) and use a laser-based kill mechanism to terminate targets (Hard kill).
  • It can lase a target 1-1.25 km far depending on the wattage of the laser weapon.
• It uses DRDO’s RF/Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) to detect the frequency which is being used by the controller and the signals are then jammed.

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the tenth edition of Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit at Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar on 10^th Jan 2024.
• The theme of the tenth edition of the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit is ‘Gateway to the Future’.
• There are 34 Partner countries and 16 Partner organizations for this year’s Summit.
• It was conceptualised in the 2003.
• Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit over the years has emerged as a key tool of Paradiplomacy.
  • Paradiplomacy, also known as ‘state diplomacy’ or ‘subnational diplomacy,’ denotes the ability of subnational governments to engage in international relations.
  • It enables the regional governments to establish business networks, share knowledge, and form strategic partnerships.

• Lead poisoning, a pervasive yet oft-underestimated public health concern, has silently penetrated the landscapes of Odisha.
• Lead contamination in Odisha is primarily attributed to improper treatment of waste from industries and e-waste as well as the informal battery recycling sector, which affects the soil, water and subsequently the food chain.
• Sources of lead poisoning
  • Aside from contaminated drinking water, fish, vegetables, etc., grown in and around polluted water and soil, can cause indirect ingestion of lead and other harmful heavy metals.
  • Aluminium utensils, imported candy, adulterated spices, toxic paints, etc., are other sources of lead poisoning.
• Impact
  • Lead accumulates in the body and gets deposited in the bones and teeth.
  • It poses severe health risks, particularly to children with developing nervous systems in the form of cognitive impairments, developmental delays, behavioural disorders.
  • Adults experience adverse effects on cardiovascular health, kidneys and reproductive systems.
  • In pregnant women specifically, lead poisoning can lead to miscarriages, still birth, low birth weight and other complications.

Facts

• A Report of the World Health Organisation says that almost one million people die every year due to lead poisoning across the globe and 1,000-5,000 people die in Odisha, with the most vulnerable being children.

• Chief of Naval Staff Admiral R Hari Kumar flagged off the first indigenously manufactured Drishti 10 ‘Starliner’ Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) for the Navy.

About Drishti 10 ‘Starliner’

• Drishti 10 ‘Starliner’ is an advanced Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) platform with 36 hours endurance.
• It has a 450 kgs payload capacity.
• It is the only all-weather military platform with STANAG 4671 certification, and clear to fly in both segregated and unsegregated airspace.
• The Drishti 10 Starliner UAV has been manufactured by Adani Defence and Aerospace.
• The sophisticated, state-of-the-art UAV marks a significant step towards strategic autonomy and technological leadership in high-endurance, combat-proven, and indigenized advanced aerial systems.

• Nigeria recently destroyed 5 tonnes of seized elephant tusks valued at over 9.9 billion naira ($11.2 million) in a push to protect its dwindling elephant population from rampant wildlife traffickers.
• Thousands of elephants are killed each year for their tusks despite a 1989 ban on the trade of ivory by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

ABOUT AFRICAN ELEPHANTS

• African elephants are the largest land animals on Earth.
  • They are slightly larger than Asian Elephants.
• Characteristics
  • African elephants have much larger ears that look like the continent of Africa.
  • They have rounded heads.
  • Both male and female African elephants can have tusks.
• Elephants are matriarchal i.e. they live in female-led groups.
• Threats –Poaching, Habitat loss because of increasing human population, and conversion of land for agriculture and development etc.
• Classified into two types-
  • African Savanna (or bush) elephant: They are larger animals that roam the plains of sub-Saharan Africa.
    • IUCN Red List: Endangered
  • African Forest Elephants: They are smaller animals that live in the forests of Central and West Africa.
    • IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered

• The World Employment and Social Outlook Trends 2024 was recently released by International Labour Organisation (ILO).

MAJOR FINDINGS

• Macroeconomic environment deteriorated significantly over 2023.
• Despite slowdown, global growth in 2023 was modestly higher than anticipated.
• Global unemployment rate is set to increase in 2024 while growing social inequalities remain a concern.
• Real wages declined in the majority of G20 countries as wage increases failed to keep pace with inflation.
  • In India, real wages are “positive” compared to other G20 countries.

ABOUT ILO

• It was created in 1919, as part of the Treaty of Versailles that ended World War I.
• In 1946, the ILO became a specialized agency of the newly formed United Nations.
• ILO is the only tripartite UN agency with government, employer, and worker representatives.
• Headquarters- Geneva (Switzerland)
• At present the ILO has 187 Members.
  • India is a founder member of the International Labour Organization.
• ILO has four strategic objectives
  • Promote and realize standards and fundamental principles and rights at work
  • Create greater opportunities for women and men to decent employment and income
  • Enhance the coverage and effectiveness of social protection for all, and
  • Strengthen tripartism and social dialogue
• The three organs of the ILO are
  • International Labour Conferences: – General Assembly of the ILO – Meets every year in the month of June.
  • Governing Body: – Executive Council of the ILO. Meets three times in a year in the months of March, June and November.
  • International Labour Office: – A permanent secretariat.

• The Prime Minister inaugurated the 27^th National Youth Festival at Nashik, Maharashtra on 12th January.
• On the occasion of 161^st anniversary of Swami Vivekanand Ji, 27th National Youth Festival is being celebrated in Nashik, Maharashtra.
• National Youth Day will be celebrated by all field organisations of the Department of Youth Affairs in districts pan-India in collaboration with multiple Government departments.
• Across 763 districts of the country, a district level mega program on National Youth Day 2024 began with a reverent floral tribute to Swami Vivekananda.

ABOUT NATIONAL YOUTH DAY

• 12^th of January marks the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda, and is celebrated as National Youth Day.
• The decision to celebrate Vivekananda’s birthday as National Youth Day was taken in 1984, and it was first marked on January 12, 1985.

ABOUT SWAMI VIVEKANADA

• Swami Vivekananda was a spiritual leader, philosopher, and social reformer who made profound contributions to India’s cultural and spiritual landscape.
• He was born as Narendranath Datta on January 12, 1863.
• He preached a philosophy called “neo-Vedanta,” which interpreted Hinduism through a Western lens. Vivekananda believed in the harmony between spirituality and material progress.
• He gained global recognition for his remarkable speech at the World Parliament of Religions in Chicago in 1893.
• As the chief disciple of Ramakrishna Paramahansa, Swami Vivekananda established the Ramakrishna Mission in 1897.
• He established many Mathas in India the most important being the Belur Math in Belur, Howrah district.

• Praveen Singh Lohia, a resident of Sar panchayat in Rakkar tehsil of Kangra district, was honoured with the Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award by President Droupadi Murmu.
• He was bestowed the honour for conquering more than 25 peaks, including Mount Everest and Mount Comet twice.
• He is a serving ASI in the Border Security Force (BSF).

ABOUT THE AWARDS

• The Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award, formerly known as the National Adventure Awards, is awarded to individuals who have demonstrated excellence in the promotion of adventure sports.
• The award is named after Tenzing Norgay, one of the first two individuals to summit Mount Everest.

• Himachal Pradesh’s Kabaddi sensation, Ritu Negi, was bestowed with the esteemed Arjuna Award by President Draupadi Murmu.
• The honour comes in recognition of Negi’s exceptional achievements and prowess in Kabaddi, solidifying her status as one of India’s foremost athletes.