Current Context : Chamba is set to become the first district in Himachal Pradesh to have a green hydrogen-based mobility station.

• Developed by : The National Hydro Power Corporation (NHPC).
• Location : Near the NHPC’s Chamera-III power station and will include a 300-kw grid-connected solar power plant to meet its energy needs.
• Production : 20 kg of green hydrogen per day, which will be stored at pressures of 450 bar or higher to fuel a green hydrogen bus.”

ABOUT GREEN HYDROGEN :

A green hydrogen-based mobility station is a facility designed to support transportation systems that use hydrogen fuel derived from renewable sources.

• Production of Green Hydrogen: Produced using renewable energy sources (such as wind, solar, or hydropower) through a process called
• Electrolysis splits water into hydrogen and oxygen using electricity. When the electricity is sourced from renewables, the hydrogen produced is termed “green.”

Current Context : Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned on Monday due to amid escalating protests and arrived in New Delhi.

• The protests in Bangladesh, primarily led by students, initially called for abolishing a quota system for government jobs but escalated into a broader uprising against Prime Minister Hasina and her ruling Awami League party.

About Bangladesh

• Location: in South Asia, bordered by India to the west, north, and east, Myanmar (Burma) to the southeast, and the Bay of Bengal to the south.
• Governance : parliamentary democracy. The President is the head of state, while the Prime Minister is the head of government.
• Colonial Period: was a part of British India until 1947 when it became East Pakistan following the partition of India.
• Independence : Gained independence from Pakistan after the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971, becoming a sovereign state.
• Political Parties: Awami League (AL) and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).
• Religion: Predominantly Muslim, with a minority Hindu population and smaller communities of Buddhists and Christians.

“VIRAASAT”, a fortnight long exhibition dedicated to celebrating 10th National Handloom Day began at Handloom Haat.

• National Handloom Development Corporation Ltd (NHDC) is organising the handloom expo under the aegis of the Ministry of Textiles, Government of India.
• The event focuses on the glorious tradition of Handloom and Handicrafts.
• It also provides market connect to the handloom weavers and artisans.

Current Context : ASI launched “Adopt a Heritage 2.0” programme and Indian Heritage app and e-Permission portal was also launched.

• Adopt a Heritage 2.0′ programme seeks to foster collaboration with corporate stakeholders through which they can contribute to preservation of these monuments for the next generations.
• Mobile app ‘Indian Heritage’ : It will showcase the heritage monuments of India.
• The app will feature state-wise details of monuments along with photographs, list of public amenities available, geo-tagged location and feedback mechanism for citizens.
• An e-permission portal, launched with with URL asipermissionportal.gov.in for obtaining permission for photography, filming and developmental projects on monuments.
• The portal will fast-track the process for obtaining various permissions and solve operational and logistical bottlenecks involved.

Current Context : India will host the next edition of the men’s Asia Cup cricket tournament in T20 format in 2025.

• The 2023 edition, hosted by Pakistan Cricket Board, was held in ‘Hybrid Model’ as India refused to travel to the neighbouring country and played its matches in Sri Lanka.

ABOUT

• It is a biennial senior men’s cricket tournament organised and administered by the ACC involving designated Members.
• It brings together national teams from countries such as India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan.

Current Context : India has committed USD 85 million over 10 years to support the World Health Organisation’s Global Traditional Medicine Centre in Gujarat for a cross-sectoral programme to strengthen the evidence base for traditional medicine.

• The WHO-India donor agreement is part of a USD 250 million investment from India in support of the establishment of the WHO Global Centre of Traditional Medicine in 2022, which includes financial support for the work plan of the Centre, interim premises and a new building

ABOUT WHO’S GLOBAL TRADITIONAL MEDICINE CENTRE

• The WHO Global Traditional and Complementary Medicine (TCM) Centre is a key initiative by the World Health Organization (WHO) focused on the development and integration of traditional and complementary medicine practices into healthcare systems worldwide.
• Objective : It serves as a global hub for the advancement and integration of traditional and complementary medicine into health systems worldwide.

Current Context : Mridu Pawan Das, an Indian Foreign Service officer of 2004 batch, has been appointed as India’s next High Commissioner to Rwanda.

• Das is a Joint Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs.

ABOUT RWANDA

• Rwanda is a landlocked country in East Africa, known for its stunning landscapes.
• Nickname : The Land of a Thousand Hills.
• Location: Situated in the central and east African region,
• Bordered by Uganda to the north, Tanzania to the east, Burundi to the south, and the Democratic Republic of Congo to the west.
• Languages: The official languages are Kinyarwanda, French, and English. Swahili is also widely spoken.
• Religion: Christianity is the predominant religion, with Roman Catholicism and Protestantism being the largest denominations.

Currency : Rwandan Franc, abbreviated as RWF.

Current Context : Food and Consumer Affairs Minister launched Version 4.0 Price Monitoring System (PMS) Mobile App.

• The newly included commodities encompass essential items like Bajra, Jowar, Ragi, and various wheat products, alongside kitchen staples such as Ghee, Butter, and fresh produce like Brinjal and Banana.
• This expansion increases the monitored items’ contribution to the Consumer Price Index (CPI) weights to approximately 31%, up from 26.5%, offering critical data for policy-making on inflation by governmental bodies and analysts.

ABOUT PRICE MONITORING SYSTEM (PMS) :

• It is a tool or software designed to track, analyze, and manage pricing information for products or services.
• Aim : to enhance daily price oversight across 550 centers nationwide, spanning 34 States/UTs.

Celebrated on 7th August.

• This day is a celebration of India’s rich and diverse handloom heritage.
• It highlights the importance of traditional weaving techniques and supports the skilled artisans who keep these practices alive.
• The first National Handloom Day was held on 7th August 2015 by Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi to commemorate the Swadeshi Movement in Chennai.

Current Context : The Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant-Governor recently invoked Article 311 of the Constitution and terminated the services of six government employees.

ABOUT ARTICLE 311

Article 311 of the Indian Constitution provides protections for civil servants against arbitrary dismissal. Specifically, it ensures that:

• No civil servant can be dismissed or removed by an authority subordinate to the one that appointed them.
• No civil servant can be dismissed, removed, or reduced in rank without an inquiry where they are informed of the charges against them and given a reasonable opportunity to be heard in respect of those charges.

EXCEPTIONS:

• Clause (2)(a): If a person is convicted on a criminal charge.
• Clause (2)(b): If the authority empowered to dismiss or remove a person or to reduce him in rank is satisfied that for some reason, to be recorded by that authority in writing, it is not reasonably practicable to hold such an inquiry.
• Clause (2)(c): If the President or the Governor is satisfied that in the interest of the security of the state, it is not expedient to hold such an inquiry.

The invocation of Article 311 by the Lieutenant-Governor of Jammu and Kashmir to terminate the services of six government employees highlights the use of this provision in matters concerning state security.