• The World Health Organisation (WHO) has published a report highlighting the first-ever list of fungal “priority pathogens” – a catalogue of the 19 fungi that represent the greatest threat to public health.
• The WHO fungal priority pathogens list (FPPL) is the first global effort to systematically prioritize fungal pathogens, considering the unmet research and development (R&D) needs and the perceived public health importance. This report is based on research led by the University of Sydney in Australia.
• Emerging evidence indicates that the incidence and geographic range of fungal diseases are both expanding worldwide due to global warming and the increase of international travel and trade.
• During the COVID-19 pandemic, the reported incidence of invasive fungal infections increased significantly among hospitalized patients. As the fungi that cause common infections (such as candida oral and vaginal thrush) become increasingly resistant to treatment, risks for the development of more invasive forms of infections in the general population are also growing.
• “Emerging from the shadows of the bacterial antimicrobial resistance pandemic, fungal infections are growing, and are ever more resistant to treatments, becoming a public health concern worldwide” said Dr Hanan Balkhy, WHO Assistant Director-General, Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR).

Three priority categories

• The WHO FPPL list is divided into three categories: critical, high and medium priority.

1. The critical group includes Candida auris, which is highly drug resistant and has caused a number of outbreaks in hospitals worldwide, as well as Cryptococcus neoformans, Aspergillus fumigatus, and Candida albicans.
2. The high group includes a number of other fungi from the Candida family as well as others such as Mucorales, a group containing the fungi that causes mucormycosis or “black fungus”, an infection which rose rapidly in seriously ill people – particularly in India – during COVID-19.
3. The medium group lists a number of other fungi, including Coccidioides spp and Cryptococcus gattii.

Fungal infection treatment

• Fungal pathogens are a major threat to public health as they are becoming increasingly common and resistant to treatment with only four classes of antifungal medicines currently available, and few candidates in the clinical pipeline, WHO said.

• India and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member countries are expected to start negotiations for a free trade agreement next month with an aim to boost economic ties between the two region.
• GCC is a union of six countries in the Gulf region — Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain.
• Terms of reference for the agreement are being finalised and we expect to launch the negotiations next month,” the official said.
• India has already implemented a free trade pact with the UAEin May this year.
• According to experts, the GCC region holds huge trade potential and a trade agreement would help in further boosting India’s exports to that market.
• Rakesh Mohan Joshi, Director, Indian Institute of Plantation Management, Bangalore, said the GCC market is unexploited by domestic exporters and it holds huge potential.
• “GCC is a major import dependent region. We can increase our exports of food items, clothing and several other goods. Duty concessions under a trade agreement will help in tapping that market. It will be a win-win situation for both sides,” Mr. Joshi said.
• Mumbai-based exporter and founder chairman of Techno-craft Industries India, Sharad Kumar Saraf said the GCC has emerged as a major trading partner for India and there is huge potential for increasing investments between the two regions.
• “FTA will have a major benefit for both the sides,” Mr. Saraf said.
• Federation of Indian Exports Organisation (FIEO) Vice Chairman Khalid Khan said sectors like chemicals, textiles, gems and jewellery and leather will get a major impetus by this agreement.
• India imports predominately crude oil and natural gas from the Gulf nations like Saudi Arabia and Qatar, and exports pearls, precious and semi-precious stones; metals; imitation jewellery; electrical machinery; iron and steel; and chemicals to these countries.
• India’s exports to the GCC increased by 58.26% to about $44 billion in 2021-22 against $27.8 billion in 2020-21, according to data of the Commerce Ministry.
• The share of these six countries in India’s total exports has risen to 10.4% in 2021-22 from 9.51% in 2020-21. Similarly, imports rose by 85.8% to $110.73 billion compared to $59.6 billion in 2020-21, the data showed.
• The share of GCC members in India’s total imports rose to 18% in 2021-22 from 15.5% in 2020-21.
• Bilateral trade has increased to $154.73 billion in 2021-22 from $87.4 billion in 2020-21.
• Besides trade, Gulf nations are host to a sizeable Indian population. Out of about 32 million non-resident Indians (NRIs), nearly half are estimated to be working in Gulf countries.
• These NRIs send a significant amount of money back home.
• According to a November 2021 report of the World Bank, India got $87 billion in foreign remittances in 2021. Of this, a sizeable portion came from the GCC nations.
• Saudi Arabia was India’s fourth-largest trading partner last fiscal. From Qatar, India imports 8.5 million tonnes a year of LNG and exports products ranging from cereals to meat, fish, chemicals, and plastics.
• Kuwait was the 27th largest trading partner of India in the last fiscal, while the UAE was the third-largest trading partner in 2021-22.

• Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina conferred the prestigious ‘Friends of Liberation War’ honour on former US Senator Edward M Kennedy posthumously on Monday in Dhaka for his contribution to the liberation of Bangladesh.
• The honour was handed over to his son Edward M Ted Kennedy Junior.
• She said that Kennedy Senior took a bold stand against the genocide committed by Pakistan on innocent Bengali people despite the US government role during the 1971 liberation war. Recalling the strong opposition mounted by Kennedy Senior against the US government policy of supplying arms to Pakistan, Prime Minister Hasina said that Kennedy worked hard to stop US military and economic aid to Pakistan till the end of the war.
• She recalled that Kennedy visited the refugee camps in West Bengal where a large number of people from the then East Pakistan had fled to escape from Pakistan army brutality.
• Earlier, Kennedy Junior with his family called on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday at her official residence in Dhaka. Ted Kennedy Junior, is a former member of Connecticut State Senate, USA.
• He is currently on a seven-day visit to Bangladesh to join the yearlong celebration of the 50th anniversary of US-Bangladesh relations.

• A fish museum, the first of its kind in the Northeast, would soon be built in Arunachal Pradesh, Fisheries Minister Tage Taki.
• The museum in the NorthEast region (NER), with all fish species across the district from Tawang to Longding, to attract tourists, fish lovers and the museum will also serve as a training centre for fish farmers.
• The fish museum would be a part of India’s first Integrated Aqua Park (IAP), sanctioned by the Union Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying (MoFAHD).
• The existing Tarin Fish Farm (TFF), located at high-altitude Bulla village, would be upgraded as the IAP where the museum would come up. It will have all fish species of the state and serve as a training centre for fisherfolk.
• An amount of Rs 43.59 crores was sanctioned for the project in the current financial year as the first instalment.

• The 1st ASEAN-India Start-up Festival(AISF) was inaugurated by  Srivari Chandrashekhar, Secretary, Department of Science and Technology on 27th October 2022 in Bogor, Indonesia.
• The inaugural event was felicitated by  Satvinder Singh, Deputy Secretary General for ASEAN Economic Community, and Ambassador, Mr. Jayant Khobragde, Indian Mission to ASEAN (IMA). 

Key Points related to the 1st ASEAN-India Start-up Festival:

• Deputy Secretary General for ASEAN Economic Community, Satvinder Singh highlighted that ASEAN has a vibrant and promising start-up ecosystem.
• In 2021, 25 new unicorns in ASEAN were included with their combined valuation at USD 55.4 billion.
• The 1st ASEAN-India Start-up Festival will further strengthen the ASEAN-India cooperation to accelerate the start-up economy.
• The National COSTI Chairperson of Indonesia and the Chairman National Research and Innovation Agency, were also present at the inaugural ceremony.
• The festival is part of the overall ASEAN-India Science, Technology, and Innovation Corporation program between the ASEAN Committee on Science Technology, and Innovation (COSTI) and the Department of Science and Technology (GoI).
• It is supported under the ASEAN-India Science and Technology Development Fund (ADF) of Govt of India.
• The four-day event is being hosted in conjunction with the Indonesian Research and Innovation Expo (INA-RIE) from the 27th until the 30th of October 2022 at the Innovation Convention Centre, Cibinong Bogor, Indonesia.

• The Kashmir tourism department had recently invited students and local farmers to join the saffron festival organised in Ladoo area to highlight the whole process of saffron cultivation.

About:

• The unique characteristics of Kashmir saffron are its longer and thicker stigmas, natural deep-red colour, high aroma, bitter flavour, chemical-free processing, and high quantity of crocin (colouring strength), safranal (flavour) and picrocrocin (bitterness).
• It is the only saffron in the world grown at an altitude of 1,600 m to 1,800 m AMSL(above mean sea level).
• Pampore region, in India, commonly known as Saffron bowl of Kashmir, is the main contributor to saffron production, followed by Budgam, Srinagar, and Kishtiwar districts.
• Kashmir saffron is a very precious and costly product.
• Kashmir saffron is renowned globally as a spice.
• It rejuvenates health and is used in cosmetics and for medicinal purposes. It has been associated with traditional Kashmiri cuisine.
• In 2020, Union Government has issued a certificate of Geographical Indication (GI) registration for Saffron grown in the Kashmir Valley.
• National Mission on Saffron is focused on several measures to improve its farming.

• Uttar Pradesh is set to have its fourth Tiger Reserve and 53rd tiger reserve in India. The tiger reserve is spread across over 36 sq km out of which the core area is 230.32 sq km and the buffer area is 299.05 sq km. Union Minister for Environment, Forest, and Climate change Bhupendra Yadav confirmed the development.

Key Points:

• Apart from Ranipur, Uttar Pradesh has three tiger reserves, Dudhwa, Pilibhit, and Amangarh.
• Uttar Pradesh government approved the development of the first tiger reserve in the Bundelkhand region of the state on 28th September 2022.
• The UP government also approved the notification of the Ranipur Wildlife Protection Act 1973.
• Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has also decided to establish the Ranipur Tiger Conservation Foundation along with sanctioning of requisite posts.
• Ranipur Tiger Reserve is covered by northern tropical dry deciduous forests and is home to mammals like megafauna tiger, leopard, bear, spotted deer, sambhar, and chinkara among others.
• According to the state government, the establishment of the Tiger Reserve in Ranipur will lead to the opening up ofeco-tourism in the area and create immense employment opportunities.

About:

• This flagship publication of the IEA has appeared every year since 1998.
• Its objective data and dispassionate analysis provide critical insights into global energy supply and demand in different scenarios and the implications for energy security, climate targets and economic development.

 Highlights:

• According to the World Energy Outlook 2022, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is a historic turning point in global energy markets, providing an unprecedented incentive to accelerate the transition to clean energy sources of fuel.
• Electricity and heat demand in the winter months shoot up in the Northern Hemisphere, so it is likely to be a challenging time for the European Union for the next couple of years.
• The global energy crisis has sparked desperate attempts from governments to promote energy security.
• Oil currently comprises 80 per cent of the global energy mix, but it may drop to 75 per cent by 2030 and around 60 per cent by 2050.

 IEA’s report talks mostly in terms of two models –

1. stated policies scenario (STEPS) and
2. announced pledges scenario (APS).
   • STEPS provides a more conservative benchmark for the future, because it does not take it for granted that governments will reach all announced goals.
     • Instead, it takes a more granular, sector-by-sector look at what has actually been put in place to reach these and other energy-related objectives, taking into account not just existing policies and measures but also those that are under development.
   • APS aims to show to what extent the announced ambitions and targets, including the most recent ones, are on the path to deliver emissions reductions required to achieve net zero emissions by 2050.

• India:

• • India’s coal generation and oil imports are going to peak in 2030, while gas imports will double around the same time.
  • India became the world’s second‐largest coal producer in 2021 (in energy terms), overtaking Australia and Indonesia, and that it plans to increase domestic production by more than 100 million tonnes of coal equivalent (Mtce) by 2025 from the current levels.
  • At present, India accounts for just over 10 percent of global coal consumption, after China which accounts for 55 percent.

• Indian Army has won the inter-services paragliding championship held at Bir
• Col PS Chauhan, a spokesperson for the event, said that it was for the first time that the Indian Army has organized a para-gliding It was held at

Bir Billing which is among the top 10 paragliding sites of the country.

• The event started from October The prices to the winners would be distributed by the Lt Gen Oupender Duvedi GOC-in-C, Northern Command, he said.
• The first Zorinmawia Inter-services Paragliding X- Country Championship was named after Late Sep Zorinmawia, an ace army paragliding pilot, who sacrificed his life during validation paragliding flying training, he
• A total of 25 experienced paragliding pilots from the Indian Army and Indian Navy showcased their flying skills and manoeuvres during long X-country flight lasting many hours. The competition will not only augment operational preparedness of the armed forces but will also provide vide publicity to the sport, he said.

• Col Chauhan said that it would also help promote adventure tourism in the

• Just a few days before the Himachal Pradesh assembly elections and thousands of voters are showing their interest to press NOTA (none of the above) while exercising their voting right.
• This time also we can see this type of grievance in the various constituencies where some of the voters are expected to reject the electing
• The option of NOTA was first used in the year 2013 during assembly elections of Mizoram, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and
• The NOTA option would be made available for voter this time in Himachal Pradesh as well.
• According to reports, in the 2017 Vidhan Sabha elections in the state, 34,232 voters pressed NOTA and rejected all the candidates. Joginder Nagar received the highest 1,162 NOTA, and the second highest NOTA button was pressed in Shahpur where 1,010 voters rejected all the
• Voting is a conventional manner of will or opinion in an electoral The right to reject suggests that a voter while voting can reject all the contenders contesting the election. Such a right signifies a choice to remain nonpartisan. This may happen when a voter feels that none of the candidates has the right to be elected. It transpires by the way of the voter’s choice, belief, thinking and expression. The right to reject has its genus in freedom of speech and expression.
• NOTA is a popular choice amongst the people of Himachal Pradesh as 29,155 voters pressed NOTA in the 2014 Lok sabha election which increased by 33,008 in the 2019 Lok sabha election, where Dharmshala 11,327, Mandi 5,298, Hamirpur 8,026 and Shimla 8,357 people showed their disapproval to all the
• As BJP won this election from all four seats the percentage of people who chose NOTA option was 87 percent out total 38,01,793 votes polled in the state.

This shows that the people of Himachal Pradesh are aware of their fundamental rights and honest with their choices.

• Recently, voters got a chance to press NOTA during the November 2021 by-elections for Mandi Lok Sabha seat along with Arki, Jubbal Kotkhai and Fatepur Vidhan Sabha seat where 14,852 voters disapproved of the
• Shockingly, in Mandi Lok Sabha seat, 12,661 votes pressed NOTA to reject all the candidates. For this particular seat, Congress Himachal Pradesh President Pratibha Singh fought the election against Brigadier Khushaal Thakur where Singh won the elections by 7,490
• Having only two major parties in power for such a long period is making people search some other political options where parties like Aam Admi Party could find a footing into the state.