• The President of India conferred Swachh Survekshan awards 2023 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi hosted by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA).
• 110 awards were bestowed during the
• The theme for the year 2023 “Waste to Wealth”.

MAJOR WINNERS AMONG DIFFERENT CATEGORIES

• The cleanest city award showcased joint winners- Port city Surat alongside Indore
• In the category of cities with a population of less than 1 lakh, Sasvad, Patan and Lonavala secured the top three spots.
• Mhow Cantonment Board in Madhya Pradesh was adjudged the Cleanest Cantonment Board.
• Varanasi and Prayagraj won the top two awards amongst the Cleanest Ganga Towns.
• Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh won the top three awards for Best Performing State.
• Chandigarh walked away with the award for the Best Safaimitra Surakshit Sheher.

• Denmark recently unveiled the Green Fuels Alliance India (GFAI)
• It is a pivotal initiative under the Green Strategic Partnership (GSP) signed between India and Denmark in 2020.
• GFAI’s primary objective is to promote sustainable energy growth in India by establishing an ecosystem that encourages collaboration among businesses, government entities, research institutions, and financial stakeholders from both the Indian and Danish sectors.
• Key features of the GFAI include-
  • featuring a Steering Committee comprised of Danish businesses and coordinated by the Secretariat at the Danish Consulate in Bangalore.
  • Advisory Board comprising industry experts and thought leaders that will ensure the initiatives remain innovative and aligned with industry trends.
  • Inspired by Collaborative Initiatives such as the India-Denmark Energy Partnership, the Nation Green Hydrogen Mission, and joint R&D efforts on Green Fuels, including Green Hydrogen

• NASA has invited people to send their names to the surface of the Moon aboard the agency’s first robotic lunar rover VIPER– short for Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover.
• In its mission to the lunar South Pole, the rover will study the Moon’s water and understand the environment where it plans to land the first woman and first person of color under its Artemis program.
• In late 2024, Astrobotic Technologies’ Griffin Mission One is scheduled to deliver VIPER to the lunar surface after launching aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
• Once there, VIPER will rely on its solar panels and batteries for its roughly 100-day mission to survive extreme temperatures and challenging lighting conditions, while powering a suite of science instruments designed to gather data about the characteristics and concentrations of lunar ice and other possible resources.
• NASA will use the data the rover collects to show where the Moon’s ice is most likely to be found and easiest to access, making VIPER the first-ever resource mapping mission on another celestial body.

• The Henley Passport Index, which ranks the world’s most travel-friendly passports, has released its list for 2024.
• Rankings
• European nations of France, Germany, Italy and Spain, and Asia’s Japan and Singapore share the number one spot.
• Finland, Sweden and South Korea shared the second rank, while Austria, Denmark, Ireland and Netherlands occupied the third spot.
• India, meanwhile, has improved its ranking and moved up to the 80th position from the previous year’s ranking of 84.
  • Those holding an Indian passport have visa-free access to 62 destinations.
• Ranking lowest on the index are Pakistan (101), Iraq (102), Syria (103) and Afghanistan (104).

ABOUT HPI

• HPI was released by Henley & Partners, a global leader in residence and citizenship planning.
• It covers 227 destinations and 199 passports.
• The rankings are based on data provided by International Air Transport Association.

• The data and terminology relating to diseases based on Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani Medicine have been included in the WHO International Classification of Diseases 11 (ICD-11)
• The Ministry of AYUSH in collaboration with World Health Organization has prepared a classification of diseases used in Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani systems under TM-2 module of ICD-11 series.
• The initiative aims to establish a universal code of vocabulary defining diseases in Ayurveda, Siddha, and Unani (ASU) medicine, fostering global uniformity.
• Infectious diseases such as Malaria and lifestyle ailments like chronic insomnia have found a place in this comprehensive classification.
• Noteworthy examples include the inclusion of ‘Bhramaha’ in Ayurveda, ‘Ajal Kirkrippu’ in Siddha, and ‘Sadra-o-Dwar’ in Unani under the common term “Vertigo Guidance Disorder.”

WHAT IS ICD?

• ICD is the international standard for systematic recording, reporting, analysis, interpretation, and comparison of mortality and morbidity data.
• The ICD is developed and annually updated by the World Health Organization.
• The ICD-11 is the eleventh revision of the International Classification of Diseases.
• ICD-11 includes Module-1 which covers traditional medicine conditions originating in ancient China, and now being commonly used in Japan, Korea etc.

• Claspei Drug has been approved by Drug Controller General of India.
• It is a cannabis based drug for epilepsy.
• The drug contains tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content below 0.1%.
• THC is active ingredient of cannabis.

ABOUT CANNABIS USE

• Under Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act 1985 –
  • Sale and production of cannabis resin and flowers is prohibited
  • Use of leaves and seeds of is permitted

ABOUT EPILEPSY

• Epilepsy is a chronic noncommunicable disease of brain.
• Symptoms include recurrent seizures, brief episodes of involuntary movement, loss of consciousness etc.
• Epilepsy is the fourth most common neurological disorder and affects people of all ages.
• There’s no cure for epilepsy, but the disorder can be managed with medications and other strategies.

• Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar rejected disqualification petitions filed against 30 Shiv Sena MLAs from both factions citing a lack of valid grounds.

ANTI DEFECTION LAW

• The anti-defection law punishes individual Members of Parliament (MPs)/Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) for leaving one party for another.
• It was added to the Constitution by Constitution (52^nd Amendment) Act as the Tenth Schedule in 1985 in order to bring stability to governments by discouraging political defections.
• Grounds of Disqualification
  • If an elected member voluntarily gives up his membership of a political party or If he votes or abstains from voting in such House contrary to any direction issued by his political party and such act has not been condoned by the party within 15 days.
  • If any independently elected member joins any political party.
  • If any nominated member joins any political party after the expiry of six months from date on which he takes seat.
• However, the law allows a political party to merge with or into another party provided at least 2/3rd of its legislators is in favour (by 91^st Amendment Act).
• The decision on questions as to disqualification on ground of defection are referred to the Chairman or the Speaker of such House who has absolute power in deciding such cases.
  • However the Speaker’s decision under anti-defection law is subject to Judicial review (Kihoto Hollohan case)

• The orchards of seven districts of Himachal Pradesh will be filled with mango, guava, orange and pomegranate by the year 2028.
• Under the HP Shiva Project, a target has been set to complete the work of growing cash crops on 6000 hectares of agricultural land by the year 2028.
• This includes plantation, irrigation facilities and fencing work.
• The Himachal Pradesh Subtropical Horticulture, Irrigation, and Value Addition (HPSHIVA) Project aims to increase the income of farm households in seven districts (Bilaspur, Hamirpur, Kangra, Mandi, Solan, Sirmour and Una) of subtropical areas of Himachal Pradesh.
• The project will expand climate resilient subtropical horticulture plantation area along with assured irrigation and market access through value chain development.

• External Affairs Minister Jaishankar launched his new book ‘Why Bharat Matters’ in which he examines the geopolitics and various aspects of India’s foreign policy since Independence using the epic Ramayana as the overarching perspective.
• The book focuses on presenting the ‘Bharatiya’ view of the world.
• The book has chapters on dealing with China, the Quad grouping, re-imagining security, and ends with the essay that is the title of the book – Why Bharat Matters.

• Union Minister of Commerce & Industry, Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution and Textiles, Shri Piyush Goyal inaugurated the ‘Indus Food 2024’, exhibition to showcase India’s vibrant and diverse food ecosystem, being held in India Exposition Mart, Greater Noida.

SOME FACTS

• There has been 150% growth in processed food exports over the past nine years, with India’s agricultural exports reaching approximately US$ 53 Billion.
• India’s has diverse agro-climatic zones, 158 food and agri Geographical Indications, and 708 unique food items under the One District One Product initiative.