• India has voted in favour of a UNSC resolution on the mental health of UN peacekeepers.
• Members of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) unanimously passed a resolution on mental health and psychosocial support for personnel of UN peace operations.
• Mexico initiated the draft resolution on mental health and psychosocial support. The draft resolution will be the first stand-alone Security Council resolution on mental health.
• The draft text is open for co-sponsorship by the wider UN membership.
• The draft resolution recognises the need to raise awareness of the importance of mental health and psychosocial support for UN peace operations personnel.

What are UN Peacekeeping Forces?

• About:
  • When the UN Security Council approved the deployment of UN military observers to the Middle East in 1948, the UN Peacekeeping Forces were established.
  • UN peacekeeping forces aid nations in negotiating the perilous transition from war to peace.
  • To carry out several missions approved by the UN Security Council (UNSC) and the UN General Assembly, it deploys soldiers and police from all over the world and combines them with civilian peacekeepers.
  • International Day of UN Peacekeepers is celebrated on date 29^th May every year.
    • 2022 Theme: Peace. Progress. The Power of Partnerships.
  • India and UNPKF:
    • India is among the nations that send the most troops to the United Nations Peacekeeping Forces.
      • Example: India is the second-highest military and fifth-highest police contributing country to the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO).
    • Over 2,60,000 Indians have served in 49 U.N. Peacekeeping missions since 1948.
    • In 2007, India became the first country to deploy an all-women contingent to a UN Peacekeeping mission.
    • In the last six decades,179 Indian soldiers have died in UN Peacekeeping operations.
    • Among “blue helmets” it has the greatest death toll of any nation.
      • Blue Helmets are the military personnel of the UN that work alongside the UN Police and civilian colleagues to promote “stability, security, and peace processes”.

About:

• The soft release of Asian Giant Tortoise is an attempt to boost conservation and repopulating the species. The soft release is a process of gradually releasing captive-raised species into the wild.
• Distribution: They are found in Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, and Malaysia and other places.
• Diet: Bamboo shoots, tubers and other juicy vegetation and some invertebrates and frogs.
• Threats: Hunting for consumption, habitat loss, anthropogenic activities like construction and slash and burn.
• Conservation Status
  • IUCN: Critically Endangered
  • CITES: Appendix II
  • Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972: Schedule IV

Intanki National Park:

• It is also known as the Ntangki National Park, which was established by British administrators in the year 1923.
• Flora:it has thick rain forests which creates natural habitat for many animals.
• Fauna:Wild buffaloes, Hoolok gibbo, Tigers, Sloth bear, Wild dogs and flying squirrels.

About Samudrayaan Mission:

• Samudrayaan Mission is aimed to develop a self-propelled manned submersible to carry three human beings to a water depth of 6,000 meters in the ocean with a suite of scientific sensors and tools for deep ocean exploration.
• The experts will be sent in a manned submersible vehicle called ‘MATSYA 6000’.
• This vehicle is being designed and developed by the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), Chennai under the Ministry of Earth Sciences.
• It has an endurance of 12 hours under normal operation and 96 hours in case of emergency for human safety.
• Manned submersible provides a feel of direct physical presence for researchers and has better intervention capability.
• With the launch of ‘Samudrayaan’ in October 2021, India joined the elite club of nations such as the US, Russia, Japan, France, and China to have niche technology and vehicles to carry out subsea activities.

Why is it relevant for India?

• India has a unique maritime position, a 7517 km long coastline, which is home to nine coastal states and 1,382 islands.
• The mission aims to boost the Central government’s vision of ‘New India’ that highlights the Blue Economy as one of the ten core dimensions of growth.
• For India, with its three sides surrounded by the oceans and around 30% of the nation’s population living in coastal areas and coastal regions play a major economic factor. It supports fisheries and aquaculture, tourism, livelihoods, and blue trade.

• Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX), the flagship initiative of Department of Defence Production, has reached a milestone with the signing of its 150th contract in New Delhi on December 21, 2022.
• The contract relates to an Indian Navy project of the Defence India Start-up Challenge (DISC 7) SPRINT edition.
• The challenge was titled ‘Expendable Mobile Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) Training Target (EMATT) capable of simulating the sound and movement of a submarine’ and the winner was Altair Infrasec Pvt Ltd, Pune.
• The Challenge envisaged development of a training target capable of being deployed from P8I aircraft, MH60R helicopters, ships doing speed up to 10 knots and other Remotely Piloted Aircraft without undertaking any modification on the platform from which the EMATT is required to be launched.

About iDEX framework:

• The iDEX framework was launched by the Prime Minister in 2018 with the objective to provide a platform of co-creation and co-development in the defence sector, engage start-ups and develop defence and aerospace set up in the country.
• The iDEX is being implemented by Defence Innovation Organisation (DIO), established under Department of Defence Production.

\Why in News?

• The Government has said, the country’s maiden human space flight mission, Gaganyaan, is targeted to be launched in the fourth quarter of 2024.
• This was stated by Union Minister, Dr. Jitendra Singh in a written reply in the Lok Sabha.
• The Minister said, in view of the paramount importance of crew safety, two uncrewed flights are scheduled, before the final human space flight- ‘H1 mission’, to demonstrate the performance of the crew escape system and parachute-based deceleration system for different flight conditions.
• He said, uncrewed ‘G1 mission’ will be targeted in the last quarter of next year, followed by the ‘G2’ in the second quarter of 2024.
• Jitendra Singh said the astronaut designates for the Gaganyaan are identified and undergoing mission-specific training at Bengaluru.

What is Gaganyaan Mission?

• About:
  • Gaganyaan is a mission by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
  • Under the Gaganyaan schedule:
    • Three flights will be sent into orbit.
    • There will be two unmanned flights and one human spaceflight.
  • The Gaganyaan system module, called the Orbital Module will have three Indian astronauts, including a woman.
  • It will circle Earth at a low-earth-orbit at an altitude of 300-400 km from earth for 5-7 days.
• Payloads:
  • The payload will consist of:
    • Crew module: Spacecraft carrying human beings.
    • Service module:Powered by two liquid propellant engines.
    • It will be equipped with emergency escape and emergency mission abort.
  • Launch:

• • GSLV Mk III, also called the LVM-3 (Launch Vehicle Mark-3,) the three-stage heavy lift launch vehicle, will be used to launch Gaganyaan as it has the necessary payload capability.

• Training in Russia:

• • In June 2019, the Human Space Flight Centre of the ISRO and the Russian government-owned Glavkosmos signed a contract for the training, which includes Russian support in the selection of candidates, their medical examination, and space training.
    • The candidates will study in detail the systems of the Soyuz manned spaceship, as well as be trained in short-term weightlessness mode aboard the Il-76MDK aircraft.
    • The Soyuz is a Russian spacecraft. The Soyuz carries people and supplies to and from the space station.
    • The Il-76MDK is a military transport plane specially designed for parabolic flights of trainee astronauts and space tourists.

Why in News?

• The Government has said, the country’s maiden human space flight mission, Gaganyaan, is targeted to be launched in the fourth quarter of 2024.
• This was stated by Union Minister, Dr. Jitendra Singh in a written reply in the Lok Sabha.
• The Minister said, in view of the paramount importance of crew safety, two uncrewed flights are scheduled, before the final human space flight- ‘H1 mission’, to demonstrate the performance of the crew escape system and parachute-based deceleration system for different flight conditions.
• He said, uncrewed ‘G1 mission’ will be targeted in the last quarter of next year, followed by the ‘G2’ in the second quarter of 2024.
• Jitendra Singh said the astronaut designates for the Gaganyaan are identified and undergoing mission-specific training at Bengaluru.

What is Gaganyaan Mission?

• About:
  • Gaganyaan is a mission by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
  • Under the Gaganyaan schedule:
    • Three flights will be sent into orbit.
    • There will be two unmanned flights and one human spaceflight.
  • The Gaganyaan system module, called the Orbital Modulewill have three Indian astronauts, including a woman.
  • It will circle Earth at a low-earth-orbitat an altitude of 300-400 km from earth for 5-7 days.
• Payloads:
  • The payload will consist of:
    • Crew module: Spacecraft carrying human beings.
    • Service module:Powered by two liquid propellant engines.
    • It will be equipped with emergency escape and emergency mission abort.
  • Launch:

• • GSLV Mk III, also called the LVM-3 (Launch Vehicle Mark-3,) the three-stage heavy lift launch vehicle, will be used to launch Gaganyaan as it has the necessary payload capability.

• Training in Russia:

• • In June 2019, the Human Space Flight Centre of the ISRO and the Russian government-owned Glavkosmos signed a contract for the training, which includes Russian support in the selection of candidates, their medical examination, and space training.
    • The candidates will study in detail the systems of the Soyuz manned spaceship, as well as be trained in short-term weightlessness mode aboard the Il-76MDK aircraft.
    • The Soyuz is a Russian spacecraft. The Soyuz carries people and supplies to and from the space station.
    • The Il-76MDK is a military transport plane specially designed for parabolic flights of trainee astronauts and space tourists.

About:

• Three heritage sites were added to the tentative list of UNESCO World Heritage sites namely; the Sun Temple at Modhera and Vadnagar town from Gujarat and rock-cut relief sculptures of Unakoti of Tripura.
• According to UNESCO, A Tentative List is an inventory of those properties which each nation intends to consider for nomination.

Sun Temple of Modhera

• The Sun Temple, Modhera dedicated to Surya dev (The Sun God), is one of the remarkable gems of temple architecture in India.
• It is an exemplary model of the Maru-gurjara architecture styleof the 11th century of western India under the patronage of the Solanki dynasty. The age of the temple may be inferred from its style belonging to the reign of Bhimadeva I (1022-1063 CE).
• It consists of the main temple shrine (garbhagriha), a hall (gadhamandapa), an assembly hall (Sabhamandapa or rangamandapa) and a sacred pool (Kunda) which is now called Ramakunda.
• This east-facing temple is built of brightyellow sandstone.
• Other sun temples in India are 8th century CE Martand Sun Temple in Kashmirand the 13th century CE Sun temple at Konark.

Rock-cut relief sculptures of Unakoti

• The site of Unakoti Rock-cut relief sculptures is located in the north-eastern part of Tripura, which was built during 8th to 12^thCE.
• The vertical surface of the Unakoti hills was used by the ancient people to carve various mythological scenessuch as the different iconographic forms of Siva, Ganesha, Uma-Maheshwara.
• The images found at Unakoti can be classified into two categories:
• Majestic rock-cut imageson the vertical surface of the hill and fallen boulders.
• Loose sculpturesof smaller and medium sizes scattered on the hill.
• The influence of Buddhism is also seen in the sculptures of the region. There are various depictions of Boddhisattavas, Buddha and Buddhist motifsalso found here.
• Many images found in this area also suggest the presence of religious sects such as Sakta, Tantric, Bajrayanis and Nathayogis.

Vadnagar

• Vadnagar was situated at a strategic location where two major ancient trade routes crossed each other. One of them joined central India with the Sindh and further northwest regions while another connected the port towns on the Gujarat coast to northern India.
• Vadnagar town is a multi-layered and multi-cultural mercantile settlementwith its history stretching back to nearly 8thCentury BCE.

About:

• Scientists used the cryomesh to freeze coral larvae at the Australian Institute of Marine Sciences (AIMS).
• The Great Barrier reef coral has suffered four bleaching events in the last seven years including the first ever bleach during a La Nina phenomenon.
• The Great Barrier Reef is a site of remarkable variety and beauty on the north-east coast of It contains the world’s largest collection of coral reefs, with 400 types of coral, 1,500 species of fish and 4,000 types of mollusc. It also holds great scientific interest as the habitat of species such as the dugong (‘sea cow’) and the large green turtle, which are threatened with extinction.

What is Cryomesh?

• Cryomesh is a specially fabricated mesh used as substrate in cryopreservation. This is lightweight and can be manufactured cheaply. It better preserves coral and has the properties of cryoplates.
• The mesh technology will help store coral larvae at-196°C (-320.8°F).

Significance of Coral Cryopreservation –

• Cryogenically frozen coral can be stored and later reintroduced to the wild. This could eventually help to rewild reefs threatened by climate change.
• It can build a bigger, more diverse bank of frozen living corals, preserving biodiversity.

What are corals?

• Corals are animals which live in a symbiotic relationship with microscopic algae called zooxanthellae (which live within the coral tissue).
• The zooxanthellae convert sunlight into food, providing corals with up to 90 per cent of their energy needs. They also give corals much of their colour.

What is AYURSWASTHYA Yojana?

• It is a Central Sector Scheme.
• It is having two components
  • AYUSH and Public Health (PHI)and
  • Centre of Excellence (CoE)from the Financial Year 2021-22 by merging two erstwhile schemes of this Ministry namely
    • Central Sector Scheme of Grant-in-Aid for Promotion of AYUSH Intervention in Public Health Initiatives (PHI) and
    • Central Sector Scheme for assistance to AYUSH organizations (Government / Non-Government Non-Profit) engaged in AYUSH Education/ Drug Development & Research / Clinical Research etc. for upgradation to Centre of Excellence (CoE).
  • Under the Centre of Excellence component of AYURSWASTHYA Yojana, financial assistance is provided to eligible individual organizations/institutes for establishing and upgrading their functions & facilities and/or for research & development activities in AYUSH.
  • The objectives of the Centre of Excellence component of AYURSWASTHYA Yojana are:
    • To support establishment of advanced/ specialized AYUSH medical health unit in reputed AYUSH and Allopathic institutions both in Government and Non-Government sector.
    • To support creative and innovative proposals for establishment and upgradation of both functions and facilities of reputed institutions to strengthen competencies of AYUSH professionals in education technology, research & innovation and such other fields necessary for promotion of AYUSH at national as well as international level.
    • To support creative and innovative proposals for prestigious organizations which have well-established buildings and infrastructure, and wish to work for AYUSH systems to the level of Centre of Excellence.
  • The maximum admissible financial assistance under the Centre of Excellence component of AYURSWASTHYA Yojana, to an organization/institute is 00 crores for maximum period of three years.

• A 10-day food carnival to promote traditional cuisines of the state kicked off in Shimla.
• The self-help groups from all 12 districts of the state are serving their five-six traditional cuisines in the carnival that has been organized by the State Rural Livelihood Mission under the Department of Rural Development.
• Even as the focus is mainly on traditional dishes, some SHGs have experimented a little to attract customers. For instance, an SHG from Kullu is offering dosa of ‘koda’, an old millet found in the state.
• “Koda is very nutritious. We have prepared its dosa as an experiment. It was liked a lot by the people during the Dasehra, and it’s drawing good crowd here as well,” said Mohar Singh, a member of the SHG.
• For the tourists who have come to Shimla for celebrating Christmas and New year, the traditional food carnival has come like an icing on the cake.
• Getting a chance to taste the traditional cuisine of the whole state is awesome. We were enjoying the weather and scenic beauty of the place, getting such wonderful food has added to the joy,” said Akriti, a tourist from Delhi.
• Anil Sharma, Chief Executive Officer at State Rural Livelihood Mission, said the food carnival was the first effort at this level.
• The participants were given a bit of training in presentation and hygiene.