• The challenges and opportunities behind meeting the rising demand for minerals required for clean energy technologies was at forefront of discussions at the first International Energy Agency (IEA) Critical Minerals and Clean Energy Summit held at Paris, France.
• The one-day meeting was attended by ministers, industry leaders, investors, international organisations and civil societies from 50 countries, who agreed on six main actions to assure sustainable, long-term and ethical supply chains of vital minerals.
• The actions include:
  • Advancing the goal of diversified mineral supplies;
  • maximising the potential of technology and recycling;
  • fostering market transparency;
  • improving the accessibility of trustworthy information;
  • establishing incentives for sustainable and responsible production; and
  • stepping up efforts to foster international cooperation.

ABOUT INTERNATIONAL ENERGY AGENCY (IEA)

• It is an autonomous inter-governmental organisation within the OECD framework.
• Energy security remains a central part of its mission.
• It was founded in 1974 to ensure the security of oil supplies as a response to the 1973-1974 oil crisis.
• HQ- Paris, France
• Membership: 31 countries (India joined in 2017, but as an Associate member).
• A candidate country to the IEA must be a member country of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

• The International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI) has launched the Coral Reef Breakthrough in partnership with the Global Fund for Coral Reefs (GFCR) and the High-Level Climate Champions (HLCC).
• The Coral Reef Breakthrough aims to secure the future of at least 125,000 km² of shallow-water tropical coral reefs with investments of at least US$12 billion to support the resilience of more than half a billion people globally by 2030.
• In addition to broad-based climate action, the Coral Reef Breakthrough will be achieved through-
  • Stop drivers of loss: Mitigate local drivers of loss including land-based sources of pollution, destructive coastal development, and overfishing.
  • Double the area of coral reefs under effective protection: Bolster resilience-based coral reef conservation efforts by aligning with and transcending global coastal protection targets including 30by30.
  • Accelerate Restoration: Assist the development and implementation of innovative solutions at scale and climate smart designs that support coral adaptation to impact 30% of degraded reefs by 2030.
  • Secure investments of at least USD 12 billion by 2030 from public and private sources to conserve and restore these crucial ecosystems.

ABOUT ICRI 

• The International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI) is an informal partnership between Nations and organizations which strives to preserve coral reefs and related ecosystems around the world.
• The Initiative was founded in 1994 by eight governments: Australia, France, Japan, Jamaica, the Philippines, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America.
• It is a network of 101 members including 45 countries that represent over 75% of the world’s coral reefs.
• Its decisions are not binding on its members.

• This year’s Nobel Prize in Physics has been awarded to three physicists — Pierre Agostini at Ohio State University in Columbus, Ferenc Krausz at the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics in Garching, Germany, and Anne L’Huillier at Lund University, Sweden — for their research into attosecond pulses of light.
• The prize was announced by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in Stockholm. The winners will share a prize of 11 million Swedish kroner (US$1 million).

NEED

• Since electrons move inside atoms and molecules at very high speeds, that they are measured in attoseconds (10^-18 seconds).
• Scientists were not able to observe the individual movements of an electron.

DISCOVERY

• Attosecond physics allows scientists to look at the very smallest particles at the very shortest timescales.
• An object that moves too fast to be photographed produces the image of a band of light when its picture is taken.
• The winners developed methods that produce these ultrafast laser pulses or extremely fast strobe light to illuminate the object can make it look like it has been frozen in time.

APPPLICATIONS–

• Studying Short-Lived Processes with implications for fields such as materials science, electronics, and catalysis.
• Medical Diagnostics
• Advancing Electronics– It may lead to the development of faster electronic devices, pushing the boundaries of computing and telecommunications technology.
• Enhanced Imaging and Spectroscopy

• Armenia’s parliament has approved a key step towards joining the International Criminal Court (ICC), a move that is set to escalate tensions with the ex-Soviet country’s traditional ally, Russia.

ABOUT INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT (ICC)

• Governed by an international treaty called ‘The Rome Statute’, the ICC is the only permanent international criminal tribunal.
• It was created by the 1998 Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (its founding and governing document), and began functioning on 1 July 2002 when the Statute came into force.
• Mandate– It investigates and, where warranted, tries individuals charged with the gravest crimes of concern to the international community.
• The Rome Statute, grants the ICC jurisdiction over four main crimes:
  • The crime of Genocide
  • Crimes against Humanity
  • War crimes
  • Crime of Aggression
• HQ- The Hague, Netherlands.
• Members: 123 nations are States Parties to the Rome Statute and recognize the ICC’s authority.
  • India is not a party to Rome Statute along with US and China.
• Official languages (6): English, French, Arabic, Chinese, Russian and Spanish.
• The Court is funded by contributions from the States Parties and by voluntary contributions from Governments, international organizations, individuals, corporations, and other entities.
• The court has 18 judges, each from a different member country, elected to nonrenewable nine-year terms.
• The ICC only has jurisdiction over offences committed after the Statute’s entry into force on 1 July 2002.

• PM recently announced the setting up of a Central Tribal University in Mulugu district of Telangana.
• The varsity will be named after revered tribal Goddesses ‘Sammakka and Sarakka’
• It will cost Rs 900 crore.

ABOUT STORY OF SAMMAKKA AND SARAKKA

• Legend has it that Sammakka had miraculous powers. One story that is much told about is that during the 13^th century, a troop from the Koya tribal community was returning from a trip when they saw a little girl playing with tigers. Amazed at her bravery, the head of the troop adopted her and named her Sammakka.
• Sammakka later married the headman of a neighbouring tribal group and had a daughter, Sarakka.
• Both mother and daughter opposed the Kakatiya kings who forced the tribes to pay taxes.
• They fought bravely and reportedly lost their lives.
• The Koya community constructed a temple as a token of gratitude and since then the event of Sammakka Sarakka Jatara or Medaram Jatara is held biennially.
  • The Jatara is the State Festival of Telangana.
• Medaram Jatara is the second-largest fair of India, after the Kumbh Mela, celebrated by the second-largest Tribal Community of Telangana- the Koya tribe for four days.
• The Jatra begins at Medaram in Tadvai Mandal in Warangal district.

• The Sela Tunnel, a strategically crucial project in Arunachal Pradesh, is almost 96% complete and is expected to be inaugurated by the end of the year.
• The total length of the project, including the tunnels, the approach and the link roads, will be around 12 km.
• The Sela Tunnel has been excavated below the 4,200-metre (13,800 ft) Sela Pass, which is often closed due to snowfall and landslides.
• The Sela Pass connects the Tawang district with the rest of Arunachal Pradesh.
• It will provide year-round access to Tawang and other areas bordering China, enhancing the operational capabilities of the Indian Army.
• Safety measures are being installed inside the tunnel, and the final touches are being provided.

• The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) recently apprehended 6 persons with 955 live baby Gangetic turtles of different species in a multicity Operation “Kachchhap”.
• The species of Gangetic turtles rescued are Indian Tent Turtle, Indian Flapshell Turtle, Crown River Turtle, Black spotted/Pond Turtle and Brown Roofed Turtle.
• Some of the species rescued are specified as vulnerable/near threatened species under IUCN Red List and Schedule I and II of Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.

• Military Nursing Service (MNS) celebrated its 98^th Raising Day on Oct 1, 2023.
• As one of the oldest and most distinguished all-women services in the Armed Forces, the Service holds more than 5,000 officers posted at various hospitals of the Armed Forces.

BRIEF HISTORY

• The origin of MNS dates back to the pre-independence colonial era when British and Indian soldiers served in the British Army.
• The British Indian government established the Indian Army Nursing Services (IANS) in the year 1888.
• This marked the formal beginning of Military Nursing in India.
• The officers of IANS had played a crucial role in providing medical care to wounded soldiers during World War I and ll.
• On 1st Oct 1926, the Permanent Nursing Service was raised in the Indian Army and designated as the Indian Military Nursing Service.
• Post Independence, the MNS was established as part of the AFMS.

• The Indian Army has started an initiative, named Project Udbhav.
• It aims to rediscover the “profound Indic heritage of statecraft and strategic thoughts” derived from ancient Indian texts of “statecraft, warcraft, diplomacy and grand strategy”
• It is in collaboration with the United Service Institution of India, a defence think-tank.
• The USI will conduct a Military Heritage Festival on October 21 and 22, to acquaint “future thought leaders with the dynamics of comprehensive national security with special emphasis on India’s strategic culture, military heritage, education, modernisation of security forces and Atmanirbhar Bharat,”.
• This pioneering initiative stands testimony to the Indian Army’s recognition of India’s age-old wisdom in statecraft, strategy, diplomacy, and warfare.

OTHER NEWS

• The army has also been supporting a project that comprises compiling Indian stratagems based on ancient texts.
• A book called Paramparik Bhartiya Darshan…Ranniti aur Netriyta ke Shashwat Niyam — translated in English as Traditional Indian Philosophy…Eternal Rules of Warfare and Leadership — was published in 2022.

• A new fish species, now christened Badis Limaakumi has been discovered.

ABOUT BADIS LIMAAKUMI

• It is a new species of badis fish from Nagaland
• Several local names are used for this newly discovered fish species, including ‘Tepdang,’ ‘Akngashi (Ao Chungli),’ ‘Aokngatsü (Ao Mongsen),’ and ‘Sempi,’ among others.
• This new badis species adds one more member to the group.
  • Badis are a group of fishes commonly found in many Asian countries. There are currently 26 different confirmed species of badis.
  • The members of this family of fishes are known as chameleon fishes
• Till now, this fish is unique in that it has only been reported from the Milak River and might be endemic to this river or endemic to some rivers in Nagaland only.
• Badis limaakumi is also one of the largest Badis species, the other being Badis assamensis.
• It appears black in its natural habitat but undergoes a remarkable color change when placed in an aquarium or different environments.
  • Badis species are well-known in the aquarium trade and are regularly exported from India to other countries.