• Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) delivered INS Sandhayak, the largest survey vessel ever built in India and first in the series of four Survey Vessels (Large) or SVLs being built by it, to the Indian Navy on the occasion of the Navy Day.
• The 110-metre-long warship is the lead vessel in a series of four SVLs and the reincarnation of another ship by that name.
  • The previous warship, also a survey vessel, was commissioned into the Navy in 1981 and decommissioned in 2021.
• These warships are capable of full-scale coastal and deep-water hydrographic survey of port and harbour approaches and determination of navigation channels and routes.
• They can also undertake surveys of maritime limits and collection of oceanographic and geographical data for defence applications and carry a helicopter each, participate in low-intensity combat and function as hospital ships.
• They can also be used for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations.

• Climate Club was launched at the 28th Conference of Parties (COP28) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

ABOUT CLIMATE CLUB

• It is an initiative aimed at cooperation between countries in decarbonising the industrial sector.
• It was first proposed by Germany during a G7 summit meeting.
• Led by Germany and Chile, the Club has garnered support from 36 member countries including Kenya, the European Union, Switzerland and others.
  • India is not a member.
• The Club is claimed to currently represent 55 per cent of the global economy.
• The Climate Club aims to make decarbonisation of industries successful for climate and businesses, through ambitious policies, alignment of methodologies and standards and improving finance and assistance for emerging and developed economies.
• The Club’s core idea is based on the fact that the hard-to-abate sectors, including steel, cement, and chemicals, are responsible for about 70 per cent of global CO2 emissions from industry, and developed countries account for a significant share of these emissions.
• At the launch of the Club at COP28, the Climate Change Work Programme 2024 was put forward which details programmatic activities of the club. The activities are divided into three key pillars:
  • Pillar 1: Advancing ambitious and transparent climate change mitigation policies.
  • Pillar 2: Transforming industries
  • Pillar 3: Boosting international cooperation and partnership

• The Union Ministry of Jal Shakti released the Dynamic Ground Water Resource Assessment Report for the entire country for the year 2023.
• The assessment was carried out jointly by Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) and States/UTs, which can be used for taking suitable interventions by various stake-holders.
  • Previous such assessments were carried out in 1980, 1995, 2004, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2017, 2020, and 2022, emphasizing the government’s commitment to regularly monitor and manage the nation’s water resources.

MAJOR FINDINGS

• As per the 2023 assessment report, the total annual ground water recharge for the entire country is 449.08 billion cubic meters (BCM), marking an increase of 11.48 BCM compared to the previous year (2022).
  • The increase may mainly be attributed to an increase in recharge from canal seepage, return flow of irrigation water, and water bodies/tanks & water conservation structures.
• Annual ground water extraction for the entire country is 241.34 BCM.
• Stage of ground water extraction stands at23%.
• Out of total 6553 assessment units, 4793 units categorized as ‘Safe’.
• Further, out of the total 6553 assessment units in the country, 736 units have been categorized as ‘Over-exploited’.
  • The report highlights a decrease in the number of ‘Over-exploited’ units, indicating positive strides in sustainable water management practices.

• The Codex Alimentarious Commission (CAC) has praised India’s Standards on Millets and accepted its proposal for the development of global standards for millets during its 46th session held in Rome, Italy.
• India has framed a comprehensive group standard for 15 types of millets specifying 8 quality parameters, which received resounding applause at the international meet.
  • Codex currently has standards for Sorghum and Pearl Millet.

ABOUT CAC

• CAC is an international food safety and quality standard-setting body created by WHO and FAO in 1963.

• It has 188 countries and 1 organisation European Union as members.
• India has been a member since 1964.
• Headq uarters- Rome, Italy
• Its objective is to protect consumer’s health and ensure fair practices in food trade.
• Codex Alimentarius, or “Food Code” is a collection of standards, guidelines and codes of practice adopted by the CAC.
• Codex standards are voluntary.
• The Agreement on Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS) of the World Trade Organization (WTO) recognizes Codex standards, guidelines and recommendations as reference standards for international trade and trade dispute settlement.

• World Health Organization recently released its Annual Malaria Report 2023.

MAJOR FINDINGS

• In 2022, there were an estimated 249 million malaria cases globally.
• Twenty-nine countries accounted for 95% of malaria cases globally.
  • Four countries, Nigeria (27%), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (12%), Uganda (5%), and Mozambique (4%), accounted for almost half of all malaria cases globally.
• Africa bears the highest malaria burden, accounting for 94% of cases and 95% of global malaria deaths in 2022.
• WHO targets to reduce malaria incidence and mortality rates by 75% in 2025 and 90% in 2030.
  • The world is off-track, with a 55% gap for 2025 incidence reduction and 53% for fatality rate reduction.
• WHO-recommended malaria vaccines RTS,S/AS01 and R21/ Matrix-M have shown promising results as per report.
• India specific findings
  • India accounted for 66% of malaria cases in the WHO SouthEast Asia Region.
  • India saw a 30% decline in malaria cases and 34% decline in deaths in 2022 as compared to 2021.

ABOUT MALARIA

• Malaria is a life-threatening mosquito borne blood disease caused by plasmodium parasites.
• 5 Plasmodium parasite species cause malaria in humans and 2 of these species – falciparum and P. vivax – pose the greatest threat.
• Malaria is majorly found in the tropical and subtropical areas of Africa, South America and Asia.
• Malaria is spread by the bite of an infected female Anopheles mosquito.
• The parasites travel to the liver, mature, and then infect red blood cells.

• The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) reported that the Solar Wind Ion Spectrometer (SWIS), the second component of the Aditya Solar Wind Particle Experiment (ASPEX) within its inaugural solar mission, Aditya L1, has become operational.
• As per a statement issued by ISRO, the Aditya Solar Wind Particle Experiment (ASPEX) payload onboard India’s Aditya-L1 satellite is performing normally.
• ASPEX comprises two cutting-edge instruments – the Solar wind Ion Spectrometer (SWIS) and STEPS (SupraThermal and Energetic Particle Spectrometer).

ABOUT ADITYA L1

• ISRO’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C57) on September 2 had successfully launched the Aditya-L1 spacecraft, from the second launch pad of Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota.
• Aditya-L1 is the first Indian space-based observatory to study the Sun from a halo orbit around first Sun-earth Lagrangian point (L1), which is located roughly 1.5 million km from Earth.
• Objectives
  • Study of Solar upper atmospheric (chromosphere and corona) dynamics.
  • Study of chromospheric and coronal heating, physics of the partially ionized plasma, initiation of the coronal mass ejections, and flares
  • Observe the in-situ particle and plasma environment providing data for the study of particle dynamics from the Sun.
  • Physics of solar corona and its heating mechanism.
  • Diagnostics of the coronal and coronal loops plasma: Temperature, velocity and density.
  • Development, dynamics and origin of CMEs etc.
• Payloads- There are total seven payloads on-board with four of them carrying out remote sensing of the Sun and three of them carrying in-situ observation.

Lagrange points

• They have been named after Italian-French mathematician Joseph-Louis Lagrange.
• There are five Lagrange points, L1 to L5, between any two-celestial body system.
• At these positions, the gravitational pull of the celestial bodies equals the centripetal force, thus the forces acting on the third body cancel each other out.

• A high-ranking Indian delegation to the 91st Interpol General Assembly has urged other member countries to deny safe havens to crime, criminals, and the proceeds of crime.
• The annual INTERPOL General Assembly had its 91^st session in Vienna, a century after the organization was founded in the Austrian capital.

ABOUT INTERPOL

• The International Criminal Police Commission (ICPC) was founded at a police congress convened in 1923 by Johannes Schober, then President of the Vienna Police.
• Headquarters- Lyon, France
• The General Assembly is INTERPOL’s supreme governing body and sets the organization’s programme of activities and financial policy for the coming year.
  • It also elects the President from member countries, who holds the office for a period of 4 years.
  • The day-to-day activities are overseen by a full-time Secretary General elected by the General Assembly, who holds office for five years.
• Its notices are international requests for cooperation or alerts allowing police in member countries to share critical crime-related information.

TYPES OF NOTICE

• Red Notice: To seek the location and arrest of persons wanted for prosecution or to serve a sentence.
• Yellow Notice: To help locate missing persons, often minors, or to help identify persons who are unable to identify themselves.
• Blue Notice: To collect additional information about a person’s identity, location or activities in relation to a criminal investigation.
• Black Notice: To seek information on unidentified bodies.
• Green Notice: To provide warning about a person’s criminal activities, where the person is considered to be a possible threat to public safety.
• Orange Notice: To warn of an event, a person, an object or a process representing a serious and imminent threat to public safety.
• Purple Notice: To seek or provide information on modus operandi, objects, devices and concealment methods used by criminals.
• INTERPOL–United Nations Security Council Special Notice: Issued for entities and individuals who are the targets of UN Security Council Sanctions Committees.

INTERPOL AND INDIA

• The CBI is the National Central Bureau for Interpol in India and coordinates all international police cooperation requirements of Indian law enforcement agencies via Interpol channels.
• India, which joined Interpol in 1949, had hosted the 90^th Interpol General Assembly in Delhi in October 2022.
• The CBI Academy has also joined the Interpol Global Academy Network to emerge as a global training hub for the Interpol.

• The World Computer Literacy Day is marked annually on December 2^nd.
• It is observed to celebrate the advancements in computer technology and promote digital literacy, especially amongst marginalised communities.
• World Computer Literacy Day was first celebrated in December 2001 to promote digital learning and raise awareness about the use of computers.
• It is an initiative of NIIT (National Institute of Information Technology), an Indian company.
• The day was established on December 2, 2001, on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the institute.

• A museum dedicated to fallen airmen flying for the Allied forces during World War II was inaugurated in Arunachal Pradesh.
• The Hump WWII Museum at Pasighat, headquarters of the East Siang district, has been named after a treacherous air route between north-eastern Assam and Yunnan in China.
• From 1942 to 1945, military aircraft transported nearly 6,50,000 tonnes of supplies like fuel, food, and ammunition.
• Some 650 aircraft crashed while negotiating the terrain and extreme weather conditions.

• Scientists have created tiny robots, called anthrobots, made from human tracheal cells capable of repairing damaged neural tissue.
  • The research builds on earlier work of the scientists, who made the first living robots, or xenobots, from stem cells sourced from embryos of the African clawed frog (Xenopus laevis).
• However, anthrobots are self-assembling and formed from human tissue, potentially paving the way for personalized medicine.
• These biobots possess the remarkable ability to autonomously configure into diverse forms and sizes.
• They can spontaneously fuse together to form a larger structure called a superbot, which was able to encourage the growth of neurons.
• They hold promise for regenerative medicine, wound healing, and disease treatment.