• Ministry of Finance, recently released an amount of Rs. 7,532 crore to 22 State Governments for the respective State Disaster Response Funds (SDRF).
• The amount has been released as per the recommendations of the Ministry of Home Affairs.

ABOUT SDRF

• The State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) has been constituted in each State under Section 48 (1) (a) of the Disaster Management Act, 2005.
• The fund is the primary fund available with State Governments for responses to notified disasters.
• The Central Government contributes 75% to the SDRF in general States and 90% in North-East and Himalayan States.
• The annual Central contribution is released in two equal instalments as per the recommendation of the Finance Commission.
• The SDRF is to be used only for meeting the expenditure for providing immediate relief to the victims of notified calamities like cyclone, drought, earthquake, fire, flood, tsunami, hailstorm, landslide, avalanche, cloud burst, pest attack and frost & cold wave.
• Allocation of SDRF funds to the States is based on multiple factors like past expenditure, area, population, and disaster risk index.
  • These factors reflect States’ institutional capacity, risk exposure, and hazard and vulnerability.

• European Parliament recently passed the Nature Restoration Law with an aim to repair damage done to Europe’s nature by 2050.
• This act is an initiative of European Commission to protect nature and combat climate change and biodiversity loss.
• It is a key part of the European Green Deal, which seeks to implement some of world’s most ambitious climate and biodiversity targets.
• It aims to
  • restore habitats and species covering 20% of land/sea areas by 2030.
  • reverse the decline of pollinator populations by 2030.
  • ensure no net loss of green urban spaces by 2030.
  • reduce use and risk of chemical pesticides by 50% by 2030.
• It allows for 30% of all former peatlands currently exploited for agriculture to be restored by 2030. (raising to 70% by 2050)
  • Peatland, is a type of wetland, that forms over thousands of years from the remains of dead plants, storing more carbon than any other ecosystem.
• Globally, peatlands take up some 3% of the planet’s land area — but absorb nearly twice as much carbon dioxide as all the Earth’s forests combined.

• The Sun is set to reach the Solar Maximum in the next two years of the current solar cycle.

SOLAR MAXIMUM

• Solar maximum is a period of time during which the Sun experiences peak solar activity and its magnetic field reaches its strongest and most disordered dynamic point.
• During solar maximum, large numbers of sunspots appear, and the solar irradiance output grows tremendously.
• Large solar flares occur during a maximum.
• The solar maximum happens roughly in the middle of each cycle.
• Impact– The increased solar activity during this period can cause large-scale solar storms, eruptions and flares, which in turn can have devastating impacts on the Earth. It can potentially disrupt radio communications, the power grid, the internet and even have serious health consequences for astronauts.

SOLAR MINIMUM

• Solar minimum is the period of least solar activity.
• During this time, sunspot and solar flare activity diminishes, and often does not occur for days at a time.
• Solar minima are correlated with changes in climate.

SOLAR CYCLE

• The Sun is a huge ball of electrically-charged hot gas.
• This charged gas moves, generating a powerful magnetic field. This magnetic field goes through a cycle, called the solar cycle.
• Every 11 years or so, the Sun’s magnetic field completely flips.
• This means that the Sun’s north and south poles switch places. Then it takes about another 11 years for the Sun’s north and south poles to flip back again.
• So far, astronomers have documented 24 such cycles, the last one ended in 2019.
• Solar minima and maxima are the two extremes of the Sun’s 11-year activity cycle.

• Two moderate-intensity, back-to-back earthquakes shook Lahaul and Spiti district in Himachal Pradesh recently.
• The earthquakes of 3.2 and 3.1 magnitudes with a depth of 10 kilometres were reported.
• Tribal Lahaul and Spiti falls in seismic zone IV, which is a high-damage-risk zone.

Note

• Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has grouped the country into four seismic zones zones V, IV, III and II.
• Zone V expects the highest level of seismicity whereas Zone II is associated with the lowest level of seismicity.

• France has agreed to arm Ukraine with Storm Shadow/SCALP missile, the longest-range Western weapon that it has received so far.
• It can strike targets in the Russian-occupied territory in Ukraine’s east.
• The SCALP (Système de Croisière Autonome à Longue Portée) missile is jointly developed by UK and France and has a range on over 250 kms.
• It is manufactured by MBDA and used by France, Italy and the United Kingdom.
• It is a fire and forget missile, programmed before launch. Once launched, the missile cannot be controlled, its target information changed or self-destructed.

• Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) has made history by becoming the first Central Public Sector Enterprise (CPSE) in India to receive certification for its Anti-Bribery Management System (ABMS).
• The certification was awarded by the internationally accredited certification body InterCert USA.
• ONGC was also the first organization in India to adopt the Integrity Pact (IP) initiated by Transparency International in 2005.

• Odisha TV, an Odia-based news station, has unveiled “Lisa,” India’s first regional AI news anchor.
• Lisa possesses the remarkable ability to speak multiple languages, including Odia, English, and others.

• Defence Minister recently inaugurated Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL)’s Regional Office in Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia.
• The Regional Office will facilitate close defence industrial collaboration between India and Malaysia.
• It will also serve as a hub for the HAL’s engagement with the wider South-East Asian region and act as a window for other Indian Defense PSUs.

• A team of researchers from Gandhinagar-based Gujarat Ecological Education and Research (GEER) Foundation has discovered a new species of saltwort called Salsola Oppositifolia Desfontania.
• It is a perennial shrub that grows in saline, arid to semi-arid environments of the Kutch
• It belongs to the family of Amaranthaceae.
• It is a perennial, succulent shrub that can grow one to two metres tall and have a smooth, cylindrical, woody base.
• It is rarely prostrate and unlike other species of Salsola, does not have any hairs.
• As the name oppositifolia suggests, the leaves of this plant grow opposite each other in the stem.
• It is a halophyte — a plant adapted to growing in saline conditions.
• Salsola oppositifolia Desfontania is the 6^th species of Salsola genus to be discovered in India.
  • Previously, Salsola kali, Salsola hatmanii, Salsola monoptera, Caroxylon imbricatum (Salsola baryosma) and Halogeton glomeratus (Salsola glomerata) were recorded in India.
• Salsola oppositifolia is used as a raw material for manufacturing soda ash. He said that other Salsola species are used in manufacturing lye and soaps.

• The Textiles Ministry recently revealed that 43 new implementing partners have been empanelled under the SAMARTH scheme with an additional training target of 75,000 beneficiaries and 5% increment in support to implementing partners.
• Scheme for Capacity Building in Textiles Sector (SAMARTH) is a demand driven and placement-oriented umbrella skilling programme of Ministry of Textiles.
• The implementation period of the scheme has been extended up to March 2024.
• More than 85% of the beneficiaries trained so far under the scheme are women.
• More than 70% of the beneficiaries trained in organized sector courses have been provided
• Objectives
  • To provide demand-driven, placement-oriented skilling programmes to incentivize the efforts of the industry in creating jobs in the organized textile and related sectors.
  • To promote skilling and skill up-gradation in the traditional sectors such as handloom, handicraft, silk and jute.
  • To provide livelihood to all sections of the society across the country.
• Under this scheme skilling programme is implemented through:
  • Textile Industry.
  • Institutions/Organizations of the Ministry of Textiles/State Governments having training infrastructure and placement tie-ups with the textile industry.
  • Reputed training institutions/ NGOs/ Societies/ Trusts/ Organizations/ Companies /Start-Ups / Entrepreneurs active in the textile sector having placement tie-ups with the textile industry.