• The President of India recently inaugurated ‘Unmesha’ – International Literature Festival and ‘Utkarsh’ – Festival of Folk and Tribal Performing Arts, at Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.

About Unmesha

• It has been organised by Sahitya Akademi.
• It is India’s most inclusive and Asia’s largest literature festival in terms of the number of languages represented.
• More than 575 authors in 102 languages are expected to participate in over 75 events in ‘Unmesha 2023’, and writers from 13 countries will participate in the festival.
• This will be the second edition of ‘Unmesha’ after the first one held in Shimla in June 2022.

About Utkarsh

• It has been organised by Sangeet Natak Akademi.
• The festival stands as a tribute to India’s rich heritage of folk and tribal expressions.
• It serves as a vital platform for traditional artists and performers to showcase their art forms and preserve the cultural legacy of diverse communities.

• Ministry of Education recently launched the Study In India (SII) portal with a vision to promote Indian education to foreign students and re-establish India as a global hub of education by welcoming students from diverse backgrounds.
  • On the occasion, students from Russia, Thailand, Japan, Ethiopia, Ecuador, Kazakhstan, and the Republic of Korea who are currently studying in India presented souvenirs from their cultures as a token of respect to dignitaries.
• It is a one-stop platform that will simplify international students’ academic journey in India.
• The portal will provide comprehensive information about Indian Higher Education Institutions and also present information about academic facilities, research support, and related information.
• It will also provide an integrated one-stop solution for the student registration and visa application processes.
• It will illustrate academic programmes covering but not limited to undergraduate (UG), postgraduate (PG), and doctoral-level programmes as well as courses in Indian Knowledge systems like Yoga, Ayurveda, classical arts, etc.
• It will have the provision for students to apply in more than one institute or course of their choice.

• In a significant development for agricultural technology, a revolutionary Internet of Things-based automated soil testing and agronomy advisory platform, Bhu-Vision (also known as KRISHI-RASTAA Soil Testing System) was officially launched at AICRP (ICAR-IIRR), Hyderabad.
• The KRISHI-RASTAA Soil Testing System represents a new era in precision agriculture.
• The technology has been jointly developed by ICAR-IIRR (Indian Council of Agricultural Research -Indian Institute of Rice Research) and KrishiTantra(an Agri-tech start-up).
• Manufactured by HiMedia Laboratories and marketed by BhoomiSeva (HCF Tech Services Pvt. Ltd.), this system seamlessly conducts 12 key soil parameter tests in just 30 minutes.
• It provides quick, accurate results directly to farmers and stakeholders through a soil health card on their mobile devices.

• According to a new study, some people of African descent possess a gene variant- Chromodomain Helicase DNA Binding Protein 1 Like (CHD1L) that likely controls human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), lowering their risk of transmitting the virus and delaying the advancement of their own illness.
  • The researchers said between 4 to 13% of people of African origin could be carrying this particular variant.
• CHD1L contains information to make proteins that allow the body to repair DNA damage.
• CHD1L gene variant has been linked to reduced viral load (amount of HIV in blood) of HIV-1 (more common and severe retrovirus compared to HIV-2).
• The gene variant CHD1L is found on chromosome 1.

• An autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV), Neerakshi, designed to detect mines and a first of its kind in the country was launched recently.
• It is a collaboration of Kolkata-based warshipmaker Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) Ltd and MSME entity Aerospace Engineering Private Ltd (AEPL).
• It can be used for a variety of functions ranging from mine detection to mine disposal to underwater survey
• Specifications
  • The unmanned cylindrical vehicle is about 1-metre long, a foot in diameter and weighs around 45 kg.
  • It has an endurance of four hours and can go up to 300 metres deep.

• NASA and US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) are working on Demonstration Rocket for Agile Cislunar Operations (DRACO)
• DRACO program aims to create a Nuclear Powered Space propulsion system .
• NASA aims to launch a nuclear-powered spacecraft, known as DRACO, into Earth’s orbit either by late 2025 or early 2026.
• The spacecraft, under construction by Lockheed Martin, will serve as a testbed for this groundbreaking technology.
• DRACO is expected to provide a treasure trove of critical data that will usher in a new age of space exploration.
• Working
  • A nuclear thermal rocket (NTR), the underpinning technology of the DRACO, boasts a thrust-to-weight ratio approximately 10,000 times greater than electric propulsion and two-to-five times more efficiency than in-space chemical propulsion.
  • The technology utilizes heat from a nuclear powered fission reactor to heat a hydrogen propellant, which then expands through a nozzle to provide thrust, propelling the spacecraft forward.
• Advantages
  • Nuclear propulsion is a key capability on NASA’s roadmap to send astronauts to Mars.
  • A nuclear-powered rocket would enable faster trips to the Red Planet, making missions less complex and safer for crew.
  • This type of engine requires significantly less propellant than chemical rockets, so missions would be able to carry additional scientific equipment.

• Iraq has now joined the league of 17 other countries that have eliminated trachoma.
• The country is also the 50^th to be acknowledged by the WHO for eliminating at least one neglected tropical disease globally.
• The 17 other countries that have eliminated trachoma are: Benin, Cambodia, China, Gambia, Ghana, Islamic Republic of Iran, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Malawi, Mali, Mexico, Morocco, Myanmar, Nepal, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Togo and Vanuatu.

About Trachoma

• It is a neglected tropical disease and the world’s leading infectious cause of blindness.
• It starts off as a bacterial infection caused by Chlamydia trachomatis and can be easily treated.
• Over time, it causes the eyelashes to be pushed inward into the eye.
  • So with every blink, they brush against the eyeball.
  • This advanced form of trachoma is called trichiasis.
  • Over time, if it’s not treated, trichiasis can lead to blindness.
• The disease thrives where there are water shortages, poor sanitation and infestations of flies, which are considered physical vectors of the disease.
• To eliminate trachoma as a public health problem, WHO recommends the SAFE strategy–
  • Surgery to treat the blinding stage (trachomatous trichiasis);
  • Antibiotics to clear the infection, particularly the antibiotic azithromycin;
  • Facial cleanliness and
  • Environmental improvement, particularly improving access to water and sanitation.

• Deputy Commissioner of Hamirpur recently said that the district will be hosting the four-day Asian Rafting Championship from September 24.
• Over 18 teams from various countries are set to participate in the event.
• The teams would cover a distance of over 10 kilometres in the running waters of the Beas.

• The Central government has granted a one-year extension to Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba, making him the longest-serving cabinet secretary in India’s history.
  • The decision was made by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC).
• Initially appointed for a two-year tenure in 2019, he has now received extensions twice, first in 2021 and now, beyond August 2023.
• With this latest extension, his tenure will surpass that of BD Pande, who held the position from November 2, 1972, to March 31, 1977, making Rajiv Gauba the longest-serving cabinet secretary in India’s bureaucratic history.

• National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has developed an application ‘MASI’ – Monitoring App for Seamless Inspection for real time monitoring of the Child Care Institutions (CCIs) and their inspection mechanism across the country.
• ‘MASI’ enables unified inspections by Child Welfare Committees (CWCs), State Inspection Committees, District Inspection Committees, Members of Juvenile Justice Boards (JJBs) and State Commissions for Protection of Child Rights (SCPCRs) as laid down under the Juvenile Justice Act, 2015 (as amended in 2021).
• It serves as a single platform for inspections of all CCIs across the country, enabling any of the above-stated authorities to conduct unified inspections.
• The application is linked to a monitoring portal, where automatic reports are generated, ensuring real-time updates on the status of CCIs.
• Regular follow-ups are conducted to ensure compliance with the Juvenile Justice Act and its rules, both before and after the completion of inspection.