• A Cheriyal scroll painting from Telangana was among the gifts that first ladies or spouses of heads of state from around the world, who gathered for the G20 Summit, received during their visit to the Indian Agricultural Research (IARI) at Pusa campus.

ABOUT THE PAINTING:

• Cheriyal Scroll Painting is a popular and modified version of Nakashi art, considered highly rich in the local motifs.
• This painting also received the Geographical Indication (GI) tag in the year
• The name Cheriyal painting is derived from the Cheriyal village, which is located about 90 km from Hyderabad, in the Warangal district of Telangana.
• Cheriyal paintings essentially consists of scrolls that depict stories from the epics, puranas, and folktales, and was once an integral part of the religious, social, and cultural lives of the villages in Telangana.
• The stories painted on scrolls were mainly from the Mahabharata, Ramayana, Markandeya purana, Garuda purana, and various stories from the Krishna leela series, with local heroes also being depicted.
• This traditional art form is considered an inseparable part of the profession comprising the story-telling and balladeer community called Kaki Padagollu.
• They have displayed these scrolls which are also accompanied by music and dance. The scrolls would be flowing like a film roll, which is usually nearly three feet in width and about 40 to 45 feet in length, based on the story.

• A day-long conference on “Transnational Grid Interconnections for One Sun, One World, One Grid (OSOWOG)” was recently held in New Delhi.
• The idea for the OSOWOG initiative was put forth by the Prime Minister of India, at the First Assembly of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) in October 2018.
• The initiative aims at connecting energy supply across borders.
• It aims to connect different regional grids through a common grid that will be used to transfer renewable energy power and, thus, realise the potential of renewable energy sources, especially solar energy.
• The project is being spearheaded by the governments of India and the UK in partnership with the International Solar Alliance (ISA) and the World Bank Group.

WHEN WILL IT BE COMPLETED?

• The grid is expected to be set up over the next few years by the ISA. Once operational, it will transport solar power to different countries.

INTERNATIONAL SOLAR ALLIANCE (ISA):

• The ISA is an intergovernmental organisation that was launched in 2015 by the Prime Minister of India and the President of France at the United Nations Climate Change Conference held in Paris.

• Under the National Digital Education Architecture (NDEAR), the Ministry of Education is pushing States to open Vidya Samiksha Kendras (VSKs).

ABOUT THE INITIATIVE:

• Vidya Samiksha Kendras (VSKs) are an open-source platform run on C-Qube software to collect data from all schemes run by the Ministry of Education (MoE).
• VSK control rooms will collect data to track key performance indicators as well as analyse data collated from govt schemes ‘using AI & machine-learning’.
• The operations of VSK centres are managed by an open-source platform run on C-Qube software.
• Advisory role – ‘EkStep Foundation’, a non-profit organisation is on board in an advisory role for implementing the VSK project.
• The Centre has allocated funds ranging from 2 to Rs.5 crore to each State for adopting and establishing VSK.
• The repository will include regularly updated data from
  • PM-POSHAN mid-day meal programmes;
  • Teacher training data from National Initiative for School Heads’ and Teachers’ Holistic Advancement portal;
  • Textbook content from Digital Infrastructure for Knowledge Sharing (DIKSHA);
  • School dropout and attendance-related data on Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE+);
  • Students’ learning outcomes from National Achievement Survey;
  • Performance Grading Index which evaluates school education system at the State/U.T. level.
• Function- Multiple platforms at Centre, State and district levels can communicate with each other using requests and responses to seamlessly integrate data at all levels on the platforms.
• This is in line with the National Education Policy, 2020 talking about developing operational standards for making data open source.

NATIONAL DIGITAL EDUCATION ARCHITECTURE (NDEAR):

• NDEAR is an architectural blueprint for the educational ecosystem in the country that defines a set of principles, standards and specifications, guidelines and policies to strengthen the digital infrastructure for education.
• It is under the Ministry of Education in collaboration with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.
• Under this, the government will not be building technology solutions for the education sector but will act as an enabler, offering a framework wherein technology can be developed and built by anyone.
• It promotes a ‘digital first’ approach, supporting teaching and learning activities, and facilitating educational planning as well as governance and administrative activities.

• The country’s top annual science award, the prestigious Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award, was announced after a gap of two years. This year, 12 scientists were selected for the award in seven different scientific categories.

WINNERS:

ABOUT SHANTI SWARUP BHATNAGAR AWARDS

• The Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for Science and Technology is a prestigious award that recognizes the outstanding achievements of young Indian scientists and engineers.
• The award is named after Dr. (Sir) Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar, the Founder-Director of the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR), India’s largest research and development organization.
• It aims to honour the research and developmental work of Indian citizens in various fields of science and technology that have the potential for social and economic benefits.
• Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award are awarded in seven scientific disciplines, including physics, biology, engineering, mathematics, medicine, chemistry, and earth sciences.
• It is open to any Indian citizen under the age of 45 years who is engaged in research in India. Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) and Persons of Indian Origin (PIO) working in India are also eligible.
• A member of the CSIR governing body, a Vice-Chancellor of a university or an institute of national importance, a dean of a science faculty or a previous Bhatnagar Awardee can propose names of candidates for the award.
• The work being considered for the award should have been done in India during the five years preceding the year of the award.
• The award consists of a citation, a plaque, and a cash prize of 5 lakhs. In addition, the awardees receive a monthly honorarium of Rs. 15,000 until they reach the age of 65.

• The G20 leaders have expressed their commitment to working towards a “fully and well-functioning” dispute settlement system within the World Trade Organization (WTO) by the year 2024.
• This commitment is a significant development in international trade, as the dispute settlement mechanism of the WTO has faced challenges since the non-functionality of its appellate body in December 2019.

ABOUT WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION (WTO)

• The WTO was established on January 1, 1995, by replacing the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT).
• It is an international organisation that promotes and regulates global trade among nations.
• Its main objective is to promote free and fair trade by eliminating barriers to trade, such as tariffs and quotas, and by ensuring that trade disputes are resolved through a transparent and predictable process.
• The main functions of WTO are:
  • setting the rules of international trade;
  • negotiating and implementing trade agreements;
  • providing a forum for trade negotiations;
  • monitoring national trade policies;
• The WTO also works closely with other international organizations, such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, to promote global economic development and reduce poverty.
• It is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, and operates on a consensus-based decision-making process.

ABOUT WTO DISPUTE SETTLEMENT MECHANISM:

• The Dispute Settlement Understanding (DSU)is the main WTO agreement on settling disputes.
• The General Council of WTO convenes as the Dispute Settlement Body (DSB)to deal with disputes between WTO members.
• The DSB has the authority to:
  • establish dispute settlement panels;
  • refer matters to arbitration, adopt panel, Appellate Body and arbitration reports;
  • maintain surveillance over the implementation of recommendations and rulings contained in such reports;
  • authorise suspension of concessions in the event of non-compliance with those recommendations and rulings;
• Process:
  • Ideally disputes are resolved through negotiations.
  • If this is not possible, WTO Members can request the establishment of a panel to settle the dispute.
  • The panel will issue a report, which can subsequently be appealed before the WTO’s Appellate Body on questions of law.
• The Appellate Body:
  • Appeals are handled by the permanent seven-member Appellate Body which is set up by the DSB and broadly represents the range of WTO membership.
  • It hears appeals from reports issued by panels in disputes brought by WTO members.
  • The Appellate Body can uphold, modify or reverse the legal findings and conclusions of a panel.
  • If a WTO member does not comply with recommendations from dispute settlement, then trade compensation or sanctions, for example in the form of increases in customs duties, may follow.

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the launch of the India-Middle East-Europe Mega Economic Corridor on the sidelines of the G20 summit at the Bharat Mandapam Convention Center in New Delhi.

ABOUT THE CORRIDOR

• IMEC aims to establish economic connectivity between India, the Middle East, and Europe.
• It will address obstacles created by Pakistan’s denial of overland access and China’s connectivity plans in the region.
• The MOU on IMEC was signed by India, USA, Saudi Arabia, UAE, European Union, Italy, France, and Germany.
• The corridor will comprise of two separate corridors,
  • The Eastern corridor – will connect India to the Arabian Gulf.
  • The Northern corridor- will connect the Arabian Gulf to Europe.
• The corridor involves railway, ship-rail transit, and road transport routes.
• The rail and shipping corridor is part of the Partnership for Global Infrastructure Investment (PGII).
• Better connectivity is seen as a means to increase trade and build trust among nations.
• The G20 Delhi Declaration addressed contentious issues like Ukraine and acknowledged the impact of conflicts on global economic distress.

PARTNERSHIP FOR GLOBAL INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT (PGII)

• The infrastructure plan was first announced in June 2021 during the G7 (or Group of Seven) summit in the UK.
• The G7 countries include the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the European Union (EU). US President Joe Biden had called it the Build Back Better World (B3W) framework. However, it did not register much progress.
• In 2022, during the G7 summit in Germany, the PGII was officially launched as a joint initiative to help fund infrastructure projects in developing countries through public and private investments.

CHINA’S BELT AND ROAD INITIATIVE (BRI):

• It was launched by China in 2013.
• The BRI consists of two main components:
  • The Silk Road Economic Belt, which is a land-based network connecting China to Europe through Central Asia and the Middle East, and
  • The 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, which is a sea-based network linking China to Southeast Asia, South Asia, Africa, and Europe via the South China Sea and the Indian Ocean.
• This initiative spans multiple continents, with projects in over 70 countries.
• India, however, opposed the BRI as it included the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, which connected Kashgar in China with the Gwadar port in Pakistan via Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

• The Prime Minister of India announced the launch of the Global Biofuels Alliance on the side-lines of the G20 Summit in New Delhi.

GLOBAL BIOFUELS ALLIANCE

• Global Biofuels Alliance is an India-led Initiative to develop an alliance of Governments, International organisations and Industry to facilitate the adoption of biofuels.
• A total of 19 countries and 12 international organisations have so far agreed to join the alliance, including both G20 members and non-member countries.
• Members: Argentina, Brazil, Canada, India, Italy, South Africa, USA, Bangladesh, Singapore, Mauritius, UAE, Iceland, Kenya, Guyana, Paraguay, Seychelles, Sri Lanka, Uganda and Finland.
• India, Brazil and the US are the founding members of the alliance.
• This Alliance will be aimed at facilitating cooperation and intensifying the use of sustainable biofuels, including in the transportation sector.
• India, the US and Brazil account for a total of 85 percent of the global ethanol production with the US holding 55 per cent share followed by Brazil 27 per cent and India 3 per cent.

WHAT IS BIOFUEL?

• Biofuels are renewable energy sources derived from biomass, such as crop stubble, plant waste, and municipal solid waste.
• Biofuels may be solid, liquid or gaseous in nature.
• Solid: Wood, dried plant material, and manure
• Liquid: Bioethanol and Biodiesel
• Gaseous: Biogas

WHAT ARE DIFFERENT GENERATIONS OF BIOFUEL?

• First generation: It is produced from consumable food items containing starch (rice and wheat), sugar (beets and sugarcane) for bio alcohols, or vegetable oils for biodiesel.
• Second generation: It is mainly obtained from non-food feedstocks such as forest/industry/agricultural wastes and waste or used vegetable oils.
• Third generation: It is known as ‘algae fuel’ and is derived from algae in the form of both biodiesel and bioalcohols.
• Fourth generation: Like the third generation, 4G biofuels are made using non-arable land. However, unlike the third, they do not need the destruction of biomass.

• Novak Djokovic defeated Daniil Medvedev to win his fourth U.S. Open and a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam singles title, avenging his loss to the Russian in the final two years ago.
• The Serbian is the first man to win three Grand Slam events in the same season four times, crowning his impending return to world number one in the most fitting of ways inside Arthur Ashe Stadium.

• At the ASEAN-India summit, the prime minister announced the decision to establish an Indian Embassy in Dili, Timor-Leste.
• Timor Leste joined the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 2022 as an Observer, before becoming its full member.

ASEAN

• ASEAN is considered one of the most influential groupings in the region, and India and several other countries including the US, China, Japan, and Australia are its dialogue partners.
• ASEAN agrees to admit Timor- Leste as its 11th member
• Timor- Leste applied for membership of the ASEAN in 2011.
• It was officially recognised as an independent country by the United Nations in 2022, making it Asia’s youngest country.

• State Bank of India (SBI), the country’s largest bank, launched the ‘Nation First Transit Card’ to improve commuting experiences and encourage the use of digital payments.
• The innovative ‘Nation First Transit Card’ aims to simplify digital ticket fare payments within a single card for various transport modes including metro, buses, water ferries, parking, and more.
• Apart from transport payments, the card can also be used for retail and e-commerce transactions.
• The ‘Nation First Transit Card’ is powered by RuPay and National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) technology, making it a potential game-changer for millions of Indians in their daily commute.