• Noted Hindi writer Pushpa Bharati’s 2016 memoir, “Yaadein, Yaadein aur Yaadein”, has been selected for the 33rd Vyas Samman, 2023.
• The award is bestowed by the KK Birla Foundation.
• Instituted in 1991, the award is given to an outstanding Hindi literary work by an Indian citizen published during the last 10 years.
• It carries a cash prize of ₹4 lakh, a citation and a plaque.
• Besides the Vyas Samman, the KK Birla Foundation has also instituted Saraswati Samman and Bihari Puraskar.
  • The Saraswati Samman, which carries a cash prize of ₹15 lakh, is given to an outstanding literary work by an Indian citizen in any of the languages included in Schedule VIII to the Constitution of India and published during a period of 10 years.
  • The Bihari Puraskar carries a cash prize of ₹2.5 lakh and is meant for Hindi/Rajasthani writers of Rajasthan.

• Six new countries- France, the United States of America, Belgium, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Pakistan and the UN Environment Programme, including its World Conservation Monitoring Centre are joining the ENACT Partnership.

ABOUT ENACT

• Germany and Egypt along with the International Union for Conservation of Nature launched ENACT (Enhancing Nature-based Solutions for an Accelerated Climate Transformation) at COP27 at Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt in December 2022.
• Canada, the European Union, Spain, Malawi, Norway, South Korea, Japan and Slovenia were also founding members of the partnership.
• It is an ambitious global initiative that seeks to coordinate global efforts to address climate change, land and ecosystem degradation, and biodiversity loss through Nature-based Solutions.
  • Nature-based Solutions involve working with and for, rather than against nature, which is critical to deliver the climate, biodiversity, and land restoration action necessary to steward human well-being for all.
  • These include wastewater management, sustainable agriculture, forestry and fishing, pollution abatement etc.
• ENACT Partnership aims to
  • enhance the protection from and resilience to climate impacts of at least 1 billion vulnerable people,
  • secure up to 2.4 billion hectares of healthy natural and sustainable ecosystems, and
  • significantly increase global mitigation efforts through protecting and restoring carbon-rich ecosystems.

• The death anniversary of Pa Togan Sangma was observed on December 12^th.

ABOUT PA TOGAN SANGMA

• Also known as Pa Togan Nengminza Sangma, he was a freedom fighter from Meghalaya.
• He belonged to the Garo tribe, and is known for his role in the anti-colonial resistance movement in north eastern India.
• He is considered to be one of the first freedom fighters from Garo hills, Meghalaya.
• Event
  • Pa Togan carried out a bold night raid into Matcha Rongkrek in Meghalaya on December 12, 1872.
  • He assembled a Garo army to face a formidable British army with ingeniously crafted shields made from plantain stems.
  • He was a tactically proficient Garo warrior, but his forces were defeated by the overwhelming British firepower that eventually resulted in his own death.
• The State Government of Meghalaya honours him on December 12 every year.
• The day is observed as a regional public holiday in the remembrance of his courageous stand against British oppression in 1872.

• Asia and the Pacific Regional Overview of Food Security and Nutrition 2023 – Statistics and Trends report was recently launched by Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations.

MAJOR FINDINGS

• Southern Asia had the most people (1.4 billion) who could not afford the cost of a healthy diet in 2021.
• About half of the world’s undernourished and food insecure people live in the Asia-Pacific region, with more food-insecure individuals in Southern Asia than any other subregion.
• Women fared worse in food insecurity than men across the subregions, except for Eastern Asia.
  • Almost one-tenth of women face severe food insecurity, while nearly one-fourth have moderate food insecurity.
• The report said during the COVID-19 pandemic and the “5Fs” crisis – Food, Feed, Fuel, Fertilisers, and Finance – the region witnessed harrowing statistics.

INDIA SPECIFIC FINDINGS

• 1% of Indians were unable to afford a healthy diet in 2021 as compared to 76.2% in 2020.
• 6% of the country’s population is undernourished.
• 7% of children of the country under five years of age suffered with stunted growth.
• For wasting (low weight for height), India recorded the highest rate in the region with 18.7% children suffering.
• 8% of the children below five years were overweight, another health risk.
• 53% of the country’s women aged between 15 to 49 had

• United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) released its Southeast Asia Opium Survey 2023.
• The report states that Myanmar is the world’s biggest opium producer.
• From 2022 to 2023, Myanmar saw an 18 per cent increase to one lakh 16 thousand acres in the amount of land used to grow the illicit crop and a 16 per cent rise in production.
• The Southeast Asian country’s opium output has topped that of Afghanistan where Taliban’s ban has led to a 95% drop in the cultivation of opium poppies in Afghanistan.
  • Opium, the base from which morphine and heroin are produced, is harvested from poppy flowers.
• Northeastern Myanmar is part of the infamous “Golden Triangle,” where the borders of Myanmar, Laos and Thailand meet.
  • On the other hand Golden Crescent comprises illicit opium production areas in Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan.

ABOUT UNODC

• It was established in 1997 through a merger between the United Nations Drug Control Programme and the Centre for International Crime Prevention.
  • It was renamed to its current name in 2002.
• It has 20 field offices covering over 150 countries.
• Headquarters- Vienna, Austria
• It is aimed at addressing the issues of illicit drug trafficking, drug abuse, prevention of crime and criminal justice, political corruption and international terrorism, in a coordinated and comprehensive manner.
• It is also the chief UN body for delivering legal and technical assistance to prevent terrorism.
• It relies on voluntary contributions, mainly from governments, to carry out the majority of its work.

• The World Health Organisation (WHO) has reported a significant anthrax outbreak in five countries in East and southern Africa.
• A total of 1,166 suspected cases had been reported in Kenya, Malawi, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
• The outbreaks in all five countries were “likely being driven by multiple factors, including climatic shocks, food insecurity, low-risk perception and exposure to the disease through handling the meat of infected animals.”

ABOUT ANTHRAX

• According to Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), anthrax is a highly infectious disease that is caused by the gram-positive, rod-shaped bacteria known as Bacillus anthracis.
• Anthrax usually affects livestock like cattle, sheep and goats, as well as wild herbivores.
• Humans can be infected if they are exposed to the animals or contaminated animal products.
• Anthrax is not generally considered to be contagious between humans, although there have been rare cases of person-to-person transmission.
• Anthrax bacteria also occurs naturally in soil.
• Symptoms- The disease manifests in three forms depending on the route of infection
  • Cutaneous anthrax, the most common form, presents with itchy bumps that develop into black sores, often accompanied by fever and muscle aches.
  • Gastrointestinal anthrax resembles food poisoning initially but can escalate to severe abdominal pain and bloody diarrhoea.
  • Inhalational anthrax, the deadliest form, starts with cold-like symptoms before progressing to severe respiratory distress and shock.
• Treatment for anthrax is available and includes antibiotics such as ciprofloxacin, doxycycline, or levofloxacin.
• Vaccines are also available for both livestock and humans (although human vaccines are typically reserved for those at high occupational risk.)

• Ten public sector banks transferred Rs 11,617 crore worth of bad loans to the National Asset Reconstruction Company Ltd (NARCL) by November end, the Rajya Sabha was informed recently.

 ABOUT NARCL

• The National Asset Reconstruction Company Limited (NARCL) was established in July 2021.
• It is an asset reconstruction company that has been tasked with taking over and managing the stressed assets of commercial banks.
• NARCL is registered with the RBI as an Asset Reconstruction Company under SARFAESI Act, 2002.
• It was established to clean up the legacy stressed assets with an exposure of Rs 500 crore and above in Indian Banking system.
• Public Sector Banks (PSBs) own 51% of the NARCL.
• Working
  • The NARCL will first purchase bad loans from banks.
  • It will pay 15% of the agreed price in cash and the remaining 85% will be in the form of “Security Receipts”.
  • When the assets are sold, with the help of IDRCL, the commercial banks will be paid back the rest.
  • If the bad bank is unable to sell the bad loan, or has to sell it at a loss, then the government guarantee will be invoked.
• Union government had issued a guarantee worth Rs 30,600 crore to security receipts issued by NARCL.
  • The government guarantee represents the difference between the assets’ face value and the value realized out of the sale or liquidation.
  • The guarantee is for five years.

 TYPES OF STRESSED ASSETS-

• Sub-standard Assets-If borrower fails to repay the installment, interest on principal or principal for 90 days the loan becomes NPA and it is termed as Special Mention Account (SMA).
• If it remains SMA for a period less than or equal to 12 months it is termed as Substandard Assets.
• Doubtful Assets-If the Sub-standard assets remains so for 12 months or more, then it would be termed as Doubtful Asset.
• Loss Assets-If the loan is not repaid even after it remains substandard for more than three years it would be called as loss Asset.
• Written Off Assets-Written off assets are those on which the bank or lender doesn’t count the money borrower owes to it.

• Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Day is observed on December 12^th every year.
• The theme for Universal Health Coverage Day 2023 is – Health For All: Time for action.

ABOUT UHC

• As per WHO, Universal health coverage (UHC) means all the people are able to access full range of quality health services they need, when and where they need them, without financial issues.
• It includes all essential health services, from prevention, treatment, rehabilitation and palliative care.
• In 2017, the United Nations proclaimed 12 December as International Universal Health Coverage Day (UHC Day) by resolution 72/138.

• The Indian Armed Forces contingent comprising 45 personnel reached Hanoi, Vietnam to take part in the fourth edition of Joint Military Exercise VINBAX-2023.
• The exercise will be conducted at Hanoi, Vietnam.
• The Indian contingent comprises 39 personnel from an Engineer Regiment of Bengal Engineer Group and six personnel of Army Medical Corps.
• Exercise VINBAX was instituted in 2018 and the first edition was conducted at Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh.
• It is an annual training event conducted alternatively in India and Vietnam.
• Last edition was conducted at Chandimandir Military Station in August 2022.
• Aim of the exercise is to foster collaborative partnership, promote inter- operability and share best practices between the two sides under Chapter VII of United Nations Charter on Peace Keeping Operations.

• A European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut recently photographed an uncommon occurrence termed a red sprite.
• Scientists approximated the dimensions of the red sprite in the astronaut’s image to be around 14 by 26 kilometres (8.7 by 16.2 miles).

ABOUT RED SPRITE

• A red sprite represents an extraordinary meteorological phenomenon categorized as a Transient Luminous Event (TLE).
• Occasionally dubbed red lightning, it occurs above thunderclouds at altitudes between 40 and 80 kilometres (25 – 50 miles) above the Earth’s surface.
• Unlike typical lightning bolts that descend from the clouds to the ground, a sprite behaves inversely, ascending into the atmosphere, resembling a form of reverse lightning.