• Jharkhand has become the third state after Bihar and Odisha in eastern India to have Food Security Atlas for its rural areas. Odisha and Bihar had their Atlas launched in 2018.
• Food Security Atlas of Rural Jharkhand 2022’ launched in Ranchi.
• Finance Minister of Jharkhand, Dr Rameshwar Oraon assured that the government would make efforts towards giving quota and green cards to the food insecure districts of Jharkhand.

Key Points of the Atlas:

• This Atlas is an effort toward mapping the food security situation in the state.
• It has been prepared by the Delhi-based Institute for Human Development (IHD)as part of the research initiative of the Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research, Mumbai. `
• This document will play an important role in informing policy.
• Given the poor monsoon this year there is a drought-like situation in many districts of the state.
• Hence, the availability of food is an issue due to the low extent of irrigation and ensuring food security is an even bigger issue wherein 75 per cent of the people need attention whose hunger needs to be eradicated.

• United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) appointed Vanessa Nakate, a 25­-year­-old climate activist from Uganda as the Goodwill Ambassador of the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
• Her collaboration with the organisation and recognising her outstanding global advocacy for climate justice for current and future generations.
• Nakate began her activism in January 2019 with a protest with her siblings and cousins on the streets of Kampala, inspired by Greta Thunberg.
• She continued to protest every week, becoming a well-known face in a movement of young people “striking” for the climate around the world.
• In 2020 she came to further global prominence when she was cropped out of a news photo she appeared in alongside Thunberg and other white climate activists.
• Nakate’s response to the incident, in which she said the news outlet “didn’t just erase a photo, you erased a continent”, made international headlines.

• Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh will lead the Joint Indian Ministerial Delegation of Power, New and Renewable Energy and Science and Technology to America to take part in Global Clean Energy Action Forum.
• Singh will leave for Washington for the first leg of the American tour and from there he will proceed to Pittsburgh and later New York.
• He will be on a five-day visit to participate in the joint convening of Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM13) and Mission Innovation (MI-7) from 21st to 23rd September, 2022 at Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, United States of America.
• The event will bring together thousands of clean energy leaders from around the world, including CEOs, innovators, young professionals, civil society and Ministers from over 30 countries to accelerate clean energy innovation and deployment
• India plans to highlight its significant efforts in the fields of Bio-Refineries, Sustainable Aviation Fuels, Materials Accelerated Platform, Building Energy Efficiency (Smart Grids), Carbon Capture, Hydrogen Valley Platforms among others to expedite Clean Energy solutions.

• The SJVN has entered an engineering procurement and construction contract for a 100 MW solar power project at Raghanesda in Gujarat with Tata Power Solar Systems Limited.
• “The Rs 612.71 crore contract includes end-to-end delivery of the commissioned solar plant to the SJVN, including comprehensive operation and maintenance of the plant for three years,” said SJVN Chairman Nand Lal Sharma.
• He said that the project was scheduled to be commissioned in 2023 and would generate 252 MU energy annually with capacity utilisation factor of 28.8 per cent.

• CSK HP Agriculture University (CSKHPAU) and Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology (SKUAST), Kashmir, have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to foster academic and research cooperation.
• The MoU was signed by Professor HK Chaudhary, Vice-Chancellor (VC) of the CSKHPAU and Dr Nazir Ahmad Ganai, VC of the SKUAST at Srinagar.
• Chaudhary said that the MoU would facilitate exchange of students under sandwich and twinning postgraduate degree programme. The students under the programme could pursue their course work or research or both at the partner university during their residency period.
• The universities would also undertake joint research work and their faculty members would formulate research projects and human resource development plans.
• Apart from this, joint sponsored and consultancy projects could be undertaken with long term and short-term goals.
• Chaudhary said the collaboration would benefit exchange of research technologies, students and faculty. Ganai said there would be an ample scope of joint research programmes, conferences, seminars and workshops in the areas of common interests.

• 16th September is International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer. It is observed every year on 16th September.
• The ozone layer, a fragile shield of gas, protects the Earth from the harmful portion of the rays of the sun, thus helping preserve life on the planet.
• A number of commonly used chemicals have been found to be extremely damaging to the ozone layer.
• The scientific confirmation of the depletion of the ozone layer prompted the international community to establish a mechanism for cooperation to take action to protect the ozone layer.
• This was formalized in the Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer. It was adopted and signed by 28 countries, on 22nd March 1985.
• In September 1987, this led to the drafting of the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer.
• The principal aim of the Montreal Protocol is to protect the ozone layer by taking measures to control total global production and consumption of substances that deplete it.
• In 1994, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 16 September the International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer, commemorating the date of the signing, in 1987, of the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer.
• On 16th September 2009, the Vienna Convention and the Montreal Protocol became the first treaties in the history of the United Nations to achieve universal ratification.
• The Parties to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer reached agreement at their 28th Meeting of the Parties on 15 October 2016 in Kigali, Rwanda to phase down hydrofluorocarbons.
• The theme for the 2022 International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer is ‘Montreal Protocol@35: global cooperation’ protecting life on earth.
• The theme recognises the wider impact the Montreal Protocol has on climate change and the need to act in collaboration, forge partnerships and develop global cooperation to address climate challenges and protect life on earth for future generations.

• The UN World Food Program has warned that the world is facing a global emergency of unprecedented magnitude, as around 345 million people marching toward starvation.
• The executive director of the U.N. World Food Program, David Beasley said that 345 million people facing acute food insecurity in 82 countries.
• He said it is incredibly troubling that 50 million of those people in 45 countries are suffering from very acute malnutrition.
• UN Under Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Martin Griffiths said, the widespread and increasing food insecurity is a result of the direct and indirect impact of conflict and violence.
• He also urged the Security Council to leave no stone unturned in trying to end these conflicts.

About the World Food Programme (WFP):

• The World Food Programme (WFP)is the leading humanitarian organization saving lives and changing lives, delivering food assistance in emergencies and working with communities to improve nutrition and build resilience.
• It was founded in 1961 by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)and United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) with its headquarters in Rome, Italy.
• It is also a member of the United Nations Sustainable Development Group (UNSDG), a coalition of UN agencies and organizations aimed at fulfilling the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
• The international community has committed to end hunger, achieve food security and improve nutrition by 2030.
• WFP works in over 120 countries and territories to bring life-saving food to people displaced by conflict and made destitute by disasters.

• In a significant move, the Indian Navy has revived the Naval training area at Manasbal Lake in Kashmir’s Ganderbal district after 33 years to provide training to National Cadet Corps (NCC) Cadets.
• Addressing a press conference, NCC Group Commander, Brigadier K S Kalsi said that around one hundred NCC Cadets including girls from various colleges in Jammu and Kashmir are going to participate in the training camp.
• He said that the revival of the Naval training area will go a long way and is a historic day as, after a gap of 33 years, NCC training activities are being revived.
• The training in the area was suspended in the early 1990s.

• A tripartite peace agreement was signed between the Centre, Assam Government and eight tribal groups of Assam to end decade old crisis of tribals and tea garden workers.
• The tribal groups which signed the agreement include Birsa Commando Force, Adivasi People’s Army, All Adivasi National Liberation Army, Adivasi Cobra Military of Assam and Santhal Tiger Force.
• Union Home Minister Amit Shah presided over the signing of the agreement in New Delhi yesterday.
• Terming this a historic day for the North East region, Mr. Shah said, several steps have been taken to ensure peace and development in the North East under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
• Shah said, the Centre is committed to resolve all border disputes between the North Eastern States and all disputes related to armed groups by 2024.

• The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights, NCPCR has revamped online portal E-Baal Nidan for timebound redressal of grievances against violation of child rights.
• The new features include bifurcation of complaints based on the nature of the complaint into their subject matters like Juvenile Justice, POCSO, Labour and Education.
• It will be beneficial for the complainants as well as the commission while dealing with complaints.
• Women and Child Development Ministry said, the portal will make the process of redressal of complaints transparent for the complainant and helps in timely disposal of cases by the Commission.
• The NCPCR will be providing user IDs and Passwords to the State Commissions to enable them to view the complaints registered on the portal to take necessary action.
• The portal will have an option of transferring the registered complaints from NCPCR to the concerned State Commission.