• SJVN chairman reported that SJVN has received a Letter of Award (LoA) for 100 MW solar power project from Rajasthan Urja Vikas Nigam Limited (RUVNL) at a tariff of Rs 2.62 per unit.
• The project was secured through SGEL, a wholly-owned subsidiary of SJVN, on Build Own and Operate basis.
• The project is to be developed at an estimated development cost of Rs 600 crore in Rajasthan through EPC contract.
• The project shall be commissioned in a period of 18 months from the date of signing of Power Purchase Agreement, which shall be signed between the RUVNL and SGEL for 25 years
• The project was expected to generate 252 MU in the first year and 5,866 MU over a period of 25 years. The commissioning of this project is expected to reduce 2,87,434 tonne of carbon emission.

• India announced the launch “Operation Ajay” to help Indians stuck in Israel to return home as fresh tension triggered in the region as Hamas militants made a series of brazen attacks on Israeli towns recently.
• As per the external affairs ministry, around 18,000 Indians are currently residing in Israel.
• Operation will be conducted through specially chartered flights and Indian Navy ships.

• The World Mental Health Day is observed on October 10^th every year.
• The World Mental Health Day was founded by the WFMH, led by Richard Hunter, the deputy secretary-general at the time, in 1992.
• It is observed to create an awareness about mental illness and to start a discussion on mental health issues like borderline personality disorder, depression, anxiety, etc. and provide those who suffer from it a safe space and comfort to be able to openly accept and address such issues.
• The theme for World Mental Health Day 2023 “Mental health is a universal human right” provides an opportunity for individuals and communities to come together to deal with mental health issues.

• The Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, launched the ‘A-HELP’ programme recently in state of Jharkhand.

ABOUT ACCREDITED AGENT FOR HEALTH AND EXTENSION OF LIVESTOCK PRODUCTION PROGRAMME

• ‘A-HELP’ program aims to empower women by engaging them as Accredited Agent who contribute significantly to disease control, animal tagging, and livestock insurance.
• The new scheme would enhance access to veterinary services at the farmer’s doorstep and empower Pashu Sakhis.
• “A-HELP” (Accredited Agent for Health and Extension of Livestock Production) has already initiated across different States/UTs including Bihar, Gujarat, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Jharkhand.
• The Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD) has launched the novel initiative through an MoU signed between DAHD and the National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM) under the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD).

• The Supreme Court asked the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) to consider issues related to distribution of highly polluting petroleum coke used by various industries
• It emphasised that a “holistic view” has to be taken to strike a balance between the needs of industries and imperatives of clean environment.

ABOUT PET COKE

• Petroleum coke or pet coke is a carbon-rich solid material derived from oil refining.
• It is a spongy, solid residue from oil distillation that can be burned for fuel similar to coal.
• It is similar to coal but with different properties.
• It is high in calorific value and easy to transport and store.
• There are two distinctive grades of Petroleum Coke Calcinable or Green Petcoke and Fuel Grade Petcoke.
• It releases toxic gases like carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, mercury, arsenic, chromium, nickel, and hydrogen chloride after burning.
• Application- It is used by aluminium and iron and steel industries apart from fuelling power plants.

• The UN General Assembly rejected a bid by Russia to regain a seat on the Human Rights Council, from which it was ousted after invading Ukraine.
• Also, 15 new countries including Brazil, China, France, Albania, , Japan, were elected to serve.
  • The vote takes place by secret ballot.

ABOUT UNHRC

• UNHRC is an inter-governmental body within the United Nations responsible for promoting and protecting human rights worldwide.
• Established in
• It superseded the former United Nations Commission on Human Rights.
• The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) serves as the Secretariat and is based in Geneva, Switzerland.
• The Human Rights Council’s 47 members are allocated by region based on equitable geographical distribution.
  • Seats are distributed among 5 regions.
    • African States: 13 seats
    • Asia-Pacific States: 13 seats
    • Latin American and Caribbean States: 8 seats
    • Western European and other States: 7 seats
    • Eastern European States: 6 seats
  • Members serve for three-year terms and are not eligible for immediate re-election after two consecutive terms.

• The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) has joined the One CGIAR integrated partnership.
• The One CGIAR partnership involves the CGIAR System Organisation and 12 One CGIAR research centres. The partnership will help build a unified approach to transforming food, land, and water systems to address the challenges posed by climate crisis.

ABOUT ICRISAT

• It is a Hyderabad based international research institute with a focus on tropical dryland agrifood system innovation.

ABOUT CGIAR

• The CGIAR (Consortium of International Agricultural Research Centres) is a publicly-funded network of agrifood systems research centres, works for transforming food, land, and water systems in a climate crisis.
• Established –1971
• It has more than 8,000 employees, working in over 80 countries.
• CGIAR members- The CGIAR consists of 15 international agricultural research institutes.
  • The list includes Africa Rice Center, Ivory Coast; Centro Internacional de Agricultura Tropical, Columbia; Center for International Forestry Research, Indonesia; Centro Internacional de Mejoramiento de Maiz y Trigo (CIMMYT), Mexico; International Potato Center, Peru; International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas, Syria; and ICRISAT, India.

• Migratory birds have started their annual journey to Chilika ahead of winter this year.
• Chilika lake hosts birds migrating from thousands of miles away from the Caspian Sea, Lake Baikal, Aral Sea, remote parts of Russia, Kirghiz steppes of Mongolia, Central and South East Asia, Ladakh and the Himalayas.

ABOUT CHILIKA LAKE

• It is a brackish water lake and a shallow lagoon with estuarine character spread across the three districts of Puri, Khurda and Ganjam in Odisha.
• It is located at the mouth of the Daya River, flowing into the Bay of Bengal, covering an expansive area of over 1,100 km².
• Chilika is Asia’s largest and world’s second largest lagoon.
• It is the largest wintering ground for migratory waterfowl found anywhere on the Indian sub-continent.
  • It is India’s largest waterbird habitat.
• It was designated the first Indian wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention in 1981.
• The Nalaban Island within the lake is notified as a Bird Sanctuary under WPA 1972.

• At the International Council of Archives Congress 2023 in Abu Dhabi, representatives from India and the United Arab Emirates came together to strengthen their collaboration in preserving their shared archival heritage.
• This year’s edition of the Congress is held under the theme “Enriching Knowledge Societies”
• It brings together experts and specialists in the field of archives, as well as thought leaders from around the world, to explore the transformative capabilities of providing information and access to it in modern societies.

ABOUT INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL ON ARCHIVES (ICA)

• ICA is the professional organization for the world archival community, dedicated to promoting the preservation, development, and use of the world`s archival heritage.
• Secretariat – Paris, France
• It was established in 1948, under the auspices of UNESCO.
• It is a neutral, non-governmental organization, funded by the membership, which means that it maintains independence from the political process and its members include public and private archives institutions and individuals.
• It works closely with intergovernmental organizations such as UNESCO and the Council of Europe.

• PM Modi paid tribute to Bharatiya Jana Sangh leader Nanaji Deshmukh on his birth anniversary

ABOUT NANAJI DESHMUKH

• Nanaji Deshmukh was a Sangh Parivar veteran, founder member of the Janata Party and one of the seniormost members of the Bharatiya Janata Party.
• He was born in small town Kadoli in Maharashtra’s Parbhani district on October 11, 1916.
• He was an active participant of the Bhoodan Movement launched by Acharya Vinoba Bhave.
• He also extended his support to Jayaprakash Narayan’s call for ‘Total Revolution’.
• Nanaji was elected to Lok Sabha from Balrampur parliamentary constituency of Uttar Pradesh.
• He established the country’s first Saraswati Sishu Mandir at Gorakhpur in 1950 and was the founder of Deendayal Research Institute situated at Chitrakoot.
• Credited with exemplary work in the field of education, health and rural self-reliance, Nanaji was nominated to the Rajya Sabha in 1999 in recognition of his services to the nation.
• A Padma Vibhushan awardee, Nanaji also established Chitrakoot Gramodya Vishwavidyalaya, India’s first rural university and also served as its first Chancellor.
• He passed away on February 27, 2010 in Chitrakoot, at the age of 93.
  • After his demise, his body was donated to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), as per his wishes.