• India’s largest public sector lender, State Bank of India has launched its WhatsApp Banking services to make banking easier for its customers.
• Now, SBI customers can avail certain banking services using WhatsApp, which may come in handy for many as they do not have to download the app or go to the ATM anymore.
• SBI customers can get their Account Balance and view Mini Statement on WhatsApp.
• SBI WhatsApp Banking services will be available to customers when they send a message saying ‘Hi’ on the number 919022690226.
• State Bank of India will also offers WhatsApp-based services to its credit card holders through the platform under the name of SBI Card WhatsApp connect.
• Through this, SBI credit card customers can check their account summary, reward points, outstanding balance and make card payments.

• Chaprah, an indigenous food delicacy found in the tribal regions of the country is looking to make it to the GI list of food items. Chaprah or a chutney made from red weaver ant is popular among the tribal population who consume it for its nutritious value. Also known as ‘The Kai’ in Odisha, the food delicacy is trying for GI tag which will further help preserve the cultural value associated with it and also promote the food.
• In Odisha, scientists through their research are trying for the geographical indications (GI) registry of Kai Chutney. Applied under the food category, the GI tag would help develop a structured hygiene protocol in the preparation of Kai Chutney for standard wider use.

The Kai Chutney

• Kai Chutney, a savoury food item, is rich in valuable proteins, calcium, zinc, vitamin B-12, iron, magnesium, potassium, sodium, copper, fiber, and 18 amino acids, known to boost the immune system and keep diseases at bay.
• Found abundantly in Mayurbhanj throughout the year, weaver ants construct nests with the leaves of host trees. The larval and adult stages of the ants are preferred and are either eaten raw or turned into “chutney” by mixing them with spicy ingredients.
• The chutney is prepared by mixing and grinding salt, ginger, garlic, and chilly. The tribals also make a living by selling these in the rural markets.

Benefits of Chaprah/ Kai

• Weaver ants are consumed as a cure for many illnesses, boosting the immune system and keeping diseases away. The dishes made from weaver ants including Kai chutney and soup help get rid of flu, common cold, and whooping cough.
• It is also useful in increasing the appetite, enhancing vision and eyesight naturally without corrective eyewear, and treating joint pain, and stomach diseases. Weaver ants are also good for the development of a healthy brain and the nervous system.
• The tribal healers also prepare medicinal oil by dipping the collected Kais in pure mustard oil. This oil when ready after 30 days, is used as baby oil and used to cure rheumatism, gout, ringworm, and other skin diseases. So it is the only panacea for the tribes.
• Kais are also used as insecticides. These bio-control agents prey on most arthropods entering their territory. Due to their predatory habit, Kais are recognized as biological control agents in tropical crops as they can protect a variety of crops against many different insect pests.
• The GI tag will not only enhance the reputation and value of local products but also support local businesses. Chaprah is consumed as a delicacy in Indian states like Chhattisgarh, Odisha, and Jharkhand.

• According to the Minister of State for Tribal Affairs, Bishweswar Tudu, the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006, has resulted in enhancing the income basket of the beneficiaries.
• The Ministry of Tribal Affairs has provided funds to various State Tribal Research Institutes (TRIs) to conduct studies on post implementation of the FRA Act, 2006.
• According to the study report, the income basket of the beneficiaries has increased due to the provisions of rights under FRA.
• This has resulted in improving the quality of life. Furthermore, the Act has empowered tribal women and also helped Gram Sabhas in managing and conserving their forest resources.
• It has enabled the need for capacity building of Gram Sabha members for their empowerment for forest governance, preparation of micro plans for the sustainable management of forest resources, improving livelihood opportunities, assessment of the biomass stock, and biodiversity conservation.

Forest Rights Act

• The Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 also known as the Forest Rights Act, recognizes the rights of forest-dwelling tribal communities and other traditional forest dwellers to forest resources. These communities are dependent on a variety of needs, including livelihood, habitation, and other socio-cultural needs.
• The Act provides certain individual rights such as Rights of Self-cultivation and Habitation and community rights such as grazing, fishing, and access to water bodies in forests, community right to intellectual property and traditional knowledge etc.
• Moreover, it empowers the forest dwellers to access and use the forest resources in the manner that they were traditionally accustomed to, to protect, conserve and manage forests, protect forest dwellers from unlawful evictions, and also provides for basic development facilities for the community of forest dwellers to access facilities of education, health, nutrition, infrastructure, etc.
• As per Forest Rights Act, 2006 and rules made thereunder, the responsibility for implementation of the Act lies with State Governments/UT Administrations.

• The 13th Petersberg Climate Dialogue held in Berlin. This informal ministerial meet is being chaired by Germany and Egypt, hosts of this year’s annual climate meet (COP-27).
• The informal ministerial meet proposes to build consensus and provide political direction to resolve divergences aimed at improving implementation of climate action, the core goal of COP-27.
• According to media reports, during the dialogue, ministers and delegations from several countries recalled the urgency to move to the implementation of all the previous resolutions made during the last meeting in order to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
• As per the previous resolution, the fight against climate change requires the preservation of the Congo Basin forests, which alone absorb 1.2 billion tonnes of carbon globally per year.
• The Petersberg Climate Dialogue will pave the way for a successful global climate conference in Egypt in November.
• Since its inception in 2010, the Petersberg Dialogue has served as a forum for ministers to build political consensus that help resolve differences on issues holding up progress in negotiations.

• Jawaharlal Nehru Port has become the first 100 per cent Landlord Major Port of India having all berths being operated on PPP model.
• According to Sarbananda Sonowal, Ports, Shipping and Waterways Minister, this project will improve the utilization in crane and berth productivity of the terminal.
• The total handling of JNPT will increase to 1.8 million Twenty-foot Equivalent Units (TEUs) from the present handling capacity of 1.5 million TEUs in 2020-21.
• The terminal will also be handling Ro-Ro vessels which will not only lower the logistics cost and reduce transit time but will also contribute in reducing congestion on roads and promoting towards clean environment.

• Prof HK Chaudhary, Vice-Chancellor, HP agriculture university, congratulated University Krishi Doot Kundan Lal for receiving the prestigious Pt Deen Dyal Antodya Krishi Puruskar.
• The award comprising Rs 1 lakh, a certificate and a memento was presented by Narendra Tomar, Union Agriculture Minister, on the ICAR foundation day in Delhi.
• The minister also appreciated last year’s awardee and University Krishi Doot Sanjay Saklani.

• An entrepreneurship centre named after Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar will be established in Himachal Pradesh University (HPU) for the youth of the state, said Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar while speaking at the launch of the state chapter of Dr Ambedkar Chamber of Commerce (DACC).
• The Governor released a concept of the Himachal Chapter of the DACC on the occasion.

• NITI Aayog will release the third edition of the India Innovation Index on the 21st of July, 2022 at an event in the NITI Bhawan. The India Innovation Index 2021 will be released by the Vice-Chairman, NITI Aayog, Shri Suman Bery.
• The release of the third edition of the index – the first and second editions were launched in October, 2019 and January, 2021, respectively.
• The India Innovation Index 2021, which examines innovation capacities and ecosystems at the sub-national level, highlights the recent factors and catalysts for promoting such crisis-driven innovation.
• The third edition strengthens the scope of innovation analysis in the country by drawing on the framework of the Global Innovation Index (GII).
• The new framework presents a more nuanced and comprehensive outlook for measuring innovation performance in India, with the introduction of 66 unique indicators, as compared to the 36 indicators used in the preceding edition (viz. India Innovation Index 2020).
• Through this comprehensive framework, the index evaluates the innovation performance of all the states and union territories in India.
• The states and the union territories have been divided into 17 ‘Major States’, 10 ‘North-East and Hill States’, and 9 ‘Union Territories and City States’, for effectively comparing their performance.

• Recently, Government Data claimed that over 9 lakh Indians gave up citizenship in the past 3 yrs to settle abroad.
• America emerged as the top choice among 103 countries where the emigrants settled.
• 2021: More than 1.63 lakh Indians relinquished their citizenship in 2021 alone. Of them, more than 78,000 took US citizenship.
• 2019 and 2020: While 1.44 lakh Indians gave up their citizenship in 2019, the numbers fell in 2020 to 85,256 in 2020, before rising again last year.
• Other Countries: Apart from choosing countries such as Singapore (7,046) and Sweden (3,754), many have also renounced their citizenship for Bahrain (170), Angola (2), Iran (21), and Iraq (1) — one person took the citizenship of Burkina Faso in 2021.
• More than 1,400 persons took Chinese citizenship, while 48 persons renounced their citizenship for Pakistan’s.
• Most citizenships acquired: The largest numbers of Indians who relinquished Indian citizenship in 2021 went to: The United States (78,284), Australia (23,533), Canada (21,597), and The United Kingdom (14,637).

• Fifty years after it was declared extinct in the country in 1952, Cheetahs will formally make an entry in India next month before Independence Day.
• India and Namibia signed a crucial memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the reintroduction of Cheetahs, with the first batch comprising four male and as many females arriving from Namibia in August.
• Namibia has the world’s largest population of Cheetahs. According to the pact, the two countries will share and exchange expertise and capacities to promote cheetah conservation in their ranges.
• According to a senior environment ministry official that talks are on with South Africa too. An MoU will be signed after getting the approval.
• The fastest land animal in the world will find a new home in the Kuno-Palpur National Park in Madhya Pradesh’ Sheopur district.
• The Cheetahs are likely to be brought to India before August 15. The Cheetah is the only large carnivore that got completely wiped out from India, mainly due to over-hunting and habitat loss.
• The last spotted feline died in 1948 in the Sal forests of Chhattisgarh’s Koriya district.
• They will collaborate in areas of climate change, environmental governance, environmental impact assessments, pollution and waste management etc and undertake an exchange of personnel for training and education in wildlife management, including sharing of technical expertise, wherever relevant.

HISTORY:

• At the first wildlife board meeting of Independent India in 1952, the government had “called for assigning special priority for the protection of the cheetahs in central India” and a “bold experimentation to preserve the Cheetah” was suggested. Subsequently, negotiations commenced with the Shah of Iran in the 1970s for bringing the Asiatic cheetah to India in exchange for Asiatic lions. Keeping in view the small Asiatic cheetah population of Iran and the genetic similarity between the Iranian and the African cheetah, it was decided that the latter would be introduced in India.
• As many as 10 sites were surveyed between 2010 and 2012.Kuno National Park (KNP) in Madhya Pradesh was considered ready for receiving cheetahs with the least management interventions since a lot of investments had been done in this protected area for reintroducing Asiatic lions, which are also an endangered species.
• Spread over 748 square kilometres, KNP has an adequate prey base. It is devoid of human settlements, forms a part of the Sheopur-Shivpuri deciduous open forest landscape and is estimated to have a capacity to sustain 21 cheetahs.
• Once restored, the larger landscape can hold about 36 cheetahs. The carrying capacity can be further enhanced by including the remaining part of the Kuno Wildlife Division (1,280 sq km) through prey restoration.

Action plan:

• The action plan for cheetah translocations in KNP has been developed in compliance with International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) guidelines and considering site assessment and prey density, current cheetah carrying capacity of the national park, among other criteria.
• The financial and administrative support to the cheetah reintroduction programme in India would be provided by the ministry through the National Tiger Conservation Authority.