• Dr Pradeep Pahwa, a lecturer in the department of physiotherapy at the Composite Regional Centre (CRC) for Skill Development, Rehabilitation and Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, Sundernagar, has been conferred with Guru Drona Physio Award.
• Dr Pahwa, a physiotherapy practitioner, was honoured for his contribution to the treatment of persons with disabilities in HP and its adjoining states.
  • Recently, a tele-physiotherapy treatment has been introduced at the CRC, Sundernagar, to give therapeutic facilities to persons with disabilities in the remote areas of the state.

• College of Horticulture and Forestry, Neri, near Hamirpur, is poised to promote the cultivation of avocado in lower reaches of the state.
• The college has successfully produced the fruit on campus and also developed a nursery of the exotic fruit.
• Scientists of the institute have distributed over 700 saplings of avocado to farmers in the region for field trial this year.
• Avocado was introduced in India in 20th century and is currently priced at an average cost of Rs 1,000 per kg. Once successful in field trial, it can become a major cash crop for the state farmers.

• It is tropical cyclone that has hit Madagascar and Mozambique.

• For the first time, the road to Sinthan Top has been opened in the month of February 2023 with an aim to promote tourism to this off-beat destination in Jammu and Kashmir.
• Sinthan Top is a high mountain pass that is located between the Breng valley in Anantnag district and Kishtwar of J&K which connects Kashmir to Chenab Valley.

• According to a senior official from the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA), the Indigenous Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas Mk2 will be integrated with heavy standoff weapons like SCALP, an air-to-ground, long-range deep strike missile.
  • The LCA Mk2 will also be able to integrate unique weapons from various countries like France, Russia etc.

About LCA Tejas Mk2

• The Indigenous LCA Tejas Mk2 is a fighter aircraft developed in India that can carry eight Beyond-Visual-Range (BVR) missiles simultaneously, along with integrating all native weapons and advanced weapons from other countries.
• The LCA Mk2 is an upgraded version of the LCA Tejas Mk1, which has improved range and mission endurance.
  • The mission endurance for fighting a war was 57 minutes for LCA Tejas Mk1, but it is 120 minutes for LCA Tejas Mk2.
• It will be pitched as a replacement for the Jaguars, MiG-29s, and Mirage 2000s.
• LCA Mk2 will have a weapon carrying capacity of 6.5 tonnes.
• The General Electric GE-414 engine will power the LCA Mk2.
• The LCA programme was started by the Government of India in 1984 when it established the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) to manage the LCA programme.

Other Variants of Tejas:

• Tejas Trainer: 2-seater operational conversion trainer for training air force pilots.
• LCA Navy: Twin- and single-seat carrier-capable for the Indian Navy.

• Recently, Indian American business executive Ajay Singh Banga was nominated by US President to head the World Bank.
• If confirmed by the World Bank Board of directors, he will be the first Indian-American to head either of the two top international financial institutions: the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank.

About World Bank

• Created in 1944, as the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) along with the IMF. The IBRD later became the World Bank.
• The World Bank Group is a unique global partnership of five institutions working for sustainable solutions that reduce poverty and build shared prosperity in developing countries.
• The World Bank is one of the United Nations’ specialized agencies.
• Members: 189 member countries including India
• Its Five Development Institutions:
  • International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD)
  • International Development Association (IDA)
  • International Finance Corporation (IFC).
  • Multilateral Guarantee Agency (MIGA)
  • International Centre for the Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID)
    • India is not a member of ICSID.
  • The United States is the largest single shareholder, with 16.41% of the votes, followed by Japan (7.87%), Germany (4.49%), the United Kingdom (4.31%), and France (4.31%). The rest of the shares are divided among the other member countries.

• National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) along with the Department of Fertilizers, Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers will take up field trials on NHAI projects for the use of Phosphor-Gypsum in National Highway construction to achieve a circular economy in the use of Gypsum.
• Phosphor-Gypsum, a waste product from manufacturing fertilizer, emits radon, a radioactive gas.
  • It also contains the radioactive elements uranium, thorium and radium.
• NHAI is also encouraging the use of waste plastic in road construction, which has been tested very successfully.
  • Studies have established that roads built using plastic waste are durable, sustainable and increase the life of bitumen (a substance produced through the distillation of crude oil).
• Similarly, NHAI has used Fly Ash for the construction of Highways and flyover embankments.
  • Fly ash is an unwanted unburnt residue of coal combustion in a coal thermal power plant.
  • It is emitted along with flue gases (a waste gas from a combustion process) during the burning of coal in a furnace and collected using electrostatic precipitators.

• Under the presidency of India in G20, the first meeting of the Culture Working Group has begun at Khajuraho in Madhya Pradesh recently.
  • The meeting was chaired by the Union Minister for Culture and Tourism.

Khajuraho Temples

• The temples at Khajuraho were built during the Chandella dynasty between 900 and 1050 AD.
• Only about 20 temples remain; they fall into three distinct groups and belong to two different religions – Hinduism and Jainism.
• The Kandariya Mahadev temple is famous for its artistic excellence. The architecture of the Chandellas is considered as one of the supreme achievements of Indian architecture.
• The UNESCO site of ‘Khajuraho Group of Monuments’ is famous for its Nagara-Style architecture and graceful sculptures of nayikas (Hindu Mythological female protagonists) and deities.

• Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL) has signed an MoU with Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) for domestic manufacture and supply of its LORA Weapon System (LORA) for Indian Tri-services.
• LORA is a short-range, road-mobile, ground and sea-launched solid fuelled ballistic missile developed and operated by Israel.
• LORA system provides ballistic assault capabilities for multiple ranges (maximum range 280km) with a precision level of 10 meters CEP (Circular Error Probability).
• It uses Inertial Navigation System/Global Positioning System and TV for terminal guidance, with possible in-flight maneuvering capability.
• It can carry a warhead of upto 600 kg.

• The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has specified a comprehensive group standard for millets with effect from 1st September 2023.
• Currently, individual standards for only a few millets like Sorghum (Jowar), whole and decorticated Pearl Millet grain (Bajra), Finger Millet (Ragi) and Amaranth are prescribed by FSSAI in 2011.
• FSSAI has now framed a comprehensive group standard for 15 types of millets specifying 8 quality parameters to ensure availability of good quality (standardized) millets in domestic and global markets.
• These are–
  • maximum limits for moisture content,
  • uric acid content,
  • extraneous matter,
  • other edible grains,
  • defects,
  • weevilled grains, and
  • immature and shrivelled grains.
• Those brought under the quality cover are Amaranthus (Chaulai or Rajgira), Barnyard Millet (Samakechawal or Sanwa or Jhangora), Brown top (Korale), Buckwheat (Kuttu), Crab finger (Sikiya), Finger Millet (Ragi or Mandua), Fonio (Acha), Foxtail Millet (Kangni or Kakun), Job’s tears (Adlay), Kodo Millet (Kodo), Little Millet (Kutki), Pearl Millet (Bajra), Proso Millet (Cheena), Sorghum (Jowar) and Teff (Lovegrass).

About Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI)

• FSSAI has been established under Food Safety and Standards , 2006.
• It has been created for laying down science based standards for articles of food and to regulate their manufacture, storage, distribution, sale and import to ensure availability of safe and wholesome food for human consumption.
• The Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India is the Administrative Ministry for FSSAI.

About Millets

• Millets are a group of small-grained cereal food crops that are highly tolerant to drought and other extreme weather conditions and require low chemical inputs such as fertilizers and pesticides.
• Millets are also gluten-free; low in Glycemic Index (GI); and rich in dietary fibre and micronutrients, including calcium, iron, phosphorus etc.
• In order to enhance awareness and promote millets, in 2018, millets were rebranded as “Nutri Cereals” and “2018” was designated as the National Year of Millets.
• Later, the United Nations General Assembly at its 75th session declared 2023 as the International Year of Millets (IYOM 2023).