Current Context : Chief Minister of Himachal Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu launched ‘Mukhyamantri Bal Poshtik Aahar Yojana’.

• Poshtik Aahar Yojana’ would provide nutritious food to children.
• This scheme would complement the existing Mid-Day Meal Scheme running in 15,181 schools in the state.
• 5,34,293 children benefited from the Mid-Day Meal Scheme would now receive additional nutrition under the new initiative as this would add boiled eggs or fruits once a week as per the preference of the children.
• Budget Allocated : Rs 12.75 crore for the ‘Mukhyamantri Bal Poshtik Aahar Yojana’ for the current financial year.

In Addition

• During this event, 17,510 primary school teachers across the state would be given tablets as part of the government’s initiative to promote Information Technology in educational and administrative processes.
• Aim : to modernising teaching methods, improving access to digital educational resources and simplifying administrative tasks.

Current Context : Recently, the Union Government has included Phina Singh canal project under the Pradhan Mantri Sinchai Yojana (PMKSY) — Accelerated Irrigation benefit Programme.

ABOUT PROJECT :

• Constructed in Nurpur of Kangra district at a cost of Rs 643 crore.
• The project was envisaged in 2011 for interlinking the Kalam Nullah and the Chakki river, two tributaries of the Beas flowing through Nurpur, and the construction of a concrete gravity dam on the Chakki river.
• The dam water was to be carried through a 30-km tunnel to irrigate 4,025 hectares in 60 villages of Nurpur.

ABOUT CHAKKI RIVER

• Region: The Chakki River is primarily situated in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh.
• Course: It originates from the outer ranges of the Shivalik Hills in Himachal Pradesh.
• Tributaries: The river is a tributary of the Beas River, which is a major river in the northern Indian region.

ABOUT KALAM NULLAH

• Location: Kalam Nullah is situated in the Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh.
• Affiliation: It is a tributary of the Beas River, which is a significant river in northern India.

Course: The stream flows through the hilly terrain of Himachal Pradesh before joining the Beas River.

Current Context : Researchers have assessed the suitability of different areas of Banni for sustainable grassland restoration, considering ecological value to be the primary criterion.

ABOUT BANNI GRASSLANDS

• Location: Kutch district of Gujarat, India.
• Area: approximately 2,000 square kilometers.
• Climate: semi-arid climate with extreme temperatures, very hot summers, and moderate monsoon rainfall.
• Biodiversity: The grasslands support a range of flora and fauna. It is a home to 37 grass species, 275 bird species, and domesticated animals like Buffalo, Sheep, Goat, Horses and Camel, as well as wildlife. Asiatic Wild Ass (Khur), which is one of the key species in the region.
• Flora: Grasses, shrubs, and some scattered trees adapted to the arid conditions comprises Prosopis Juliflora, Cressa critica, Cyperus spp, Sporobolus, Dichanthium, and Aristida.
• Fauna: Apart from the Asiatic Wild Ass, the region supports other wildlife, such as blackbuck, nilgai, and various small mammals and reptiles.

Current Context : Uttarakhand has become the first Indian state to launch a Gross Environment Product Index.

• Uttarakhand is the first state in the world where the development of the ecosystem will be assessed through the Gross Environmental Product Index.

ABOUT GROSS ENVIRONMENT PRODUCT INDEX

• Gross Environment Product Index measures the environmental performance of a region, country, or organization by integrating environmental factors into economic assessments.
• This will help in assessing the contribution to environmental protection.
• There are four pillars of the Gross Environment Product Index: Air, Soil, Tree and Water.
• Formula : GEP index = (Air- GEP index + Water- GEP index + Soil-GEP index + Forest-GEP index.

Current Context : The President of India, Smt. Droupadi Murmu, conferred the prestigious National Geoscience Awards (NGA) for the year 2023 at the Rashtrapati Bhavan Cultural Centre, New Delhi.

• Under the National Geoscience Award category, a total of 10 awards including 3 teams were conferred in various fields of geosciences.

ABOUT AWARD

• The National Geoscience Awards are prestigious honors given in India to recognize and celebrate exceptional contributions in the field of geosciences.
• Instituted by the Ministry of Mines, of India in the year 1966.
• Categories:
  • National Geoscience Award for Lifetime Achievement
  • National Geoscience Award
  • National Young Geoscientist Award

Current Context : Recently, Germany  joined the US-led UN Command (UNC) as the 18th official member state.

• It marked the first expansion of the command since 2013 when Italy was reinstated as a member.

ABOUT UN COMMAND (UNC)

• Established on July 24, 1950 to support South Korea against North Korean aggression during the war.
• A total of 22 countries, including the United States, Britain and Australia, sent troops or medical support to the South during and right after the war. Germany provided medical assistance to South Korea from 1954-59 but was not included as a UNC member state as the armistice was signed in July 1953.

Current Context : The Atal Innovation Mission and partner CSIRO have invited applications from start-ups and MSMEs of both India and Australia for the Climate Smart Agritech cohort of the India Australia Rapid Innovation and Start-up Expansion (RISE).

• The programme is designed to support businesses aiming for international expansion between the two countries.
• The RISE Accelerator program was launched in 2023.
• It has been instrumental in supporting startups and MSMEs in validating, adapting, and piloting their technologies for new markets.

Current Context : The Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (Divyangjan) hosted the 17th Divya Kala Mela in Raipur, Chhattisgarh.

• Fair showcased the diverse range of products and services produced by 100 Divyang artisans, artists, and entrepreneurs from over 20 states and union territories.
• Aim : to empower Divyangjans with disabilities by providing them with a platform to showcase their talents and creativity.
• It will also provide an opportunity for the public to come together and experience the unique culture of Divyangjani products.

Current Context : ISRO successfully launched Earth Observation Satellite EOS-08 from Sriharikota.

ABOUT SSLV-D3-EOS8 MISSION

• Objective : designing and developing a microsatellite, creating payload instruments compatible with the microsatellite bus, and incorporating new technologies required for future operational satellites.
• Weighing 5 kg
• Developed by Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) with a carrying capacity of 500 kg to the Low Earth Orbit (LEO) .
• Built on the Microsat/IMS-1 bus, the Earth Observation Satellite carries three payloads:

1. Electro Optical Infrared Payload (EOIR)
2. Global Navigation Satellite System-Reflectometry payload (GNSS-R)
3. SiC UV Dosimeter.

• EOIR is designed to capture images in the Mid-Wave IR (MIR) and Long-Wave IR (LWIR) bands
• GNSS-R : Demonstrates remote sensing for applications such as ocean surface wind analysis, soil moisture assessment, cryosphere studies over the Himalayan region, flood detection, and inland waterbody detection.

SiC UV Dosimeter : monitors UV irradiance at the viewport of the Crew Module in the Gaganyaan Mission and serves as a high-dose alarm sensor for gamma radiation.

Current Context : Recently, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a health advisory concerning a significant rise in cases of parvovirus B19, commonly known as the Fifth Disease or “slapped cheek” illness.

ABOUT PARVOVIRUS B19

• Parvovirus B19 is a small, single-stranded DNA virus that belongs to the Parvoviridae family, genus Erythroparvovirus.
• It is a seasonal respiratory virus.
• Transmitted through respiratory droplets by people. It can also spread through blood. An infected pregnant woman can pass the virus to her baby.
• This illness can be especially hazardous for pregnant women.
• Symptoms Fever, Upset stomach, Headache, Runny nose
• Several days after the appearance of early symptoms, a distinctive bright red rash may appear on face — usually on both cheeks.
• There’s no vaccine to prevent human parvovirus infection.