• A report released by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) has stated that about 50,000 wild species globally can meet the needs of billions of people.

KEY POINTS

• The IPBES assessment of the sustainable use of wild species aims to address challenges faced by policymakers and will be completed in 2022.
• Wild species provide half of the world’s seafood, a significant proportion of timber and energy, and remain a major source of protein, fiber and medicines for many communities in both developing and developed countries.
• Policies and decisions relating to the use of wild species will have consequences for people who depend on these species and affect progress towards the SDGs.

• The Japanese government has decided to award with the country’s highest order posthumously.
• Abe will receive the Supreme Order of the Chrysanthemum.
• The longest-serving PM of Japan will be the fourth former prime minister to receive the decoration under the postwar Constitution.

• The proposal to set up the Mega Integrated Textile Region and Apparel Park, under the PM-MITRA scheme, near the Mattewara forest and on the river Sutlej floodplains, was red-flagged by locals, environmentalists, and Opposition parties on the ground that it will disturb the biodiversity of the protected forest and even lead to chemical discharge from factories into the river.
• Apart from cutting trees this project would have also led to massive pollution in the river water thereby jeopardising human life along with flora and fauna in the region.

• Nokia has partnered with the Indian Institute of Science to set up the Nokia Center of Excellence in networked robotics at IISc Bengaluru.
• The Center of Excellence (CoE) will promote inter-disciplinary research involving robotics and advanced communication technologies in 5G and Artificial Intelligence (AI).
• It will also develop use cases across industrial automation, agriculture and disaster management.

About the center:

• The center will facilitate engagement and cooperation between academia, start-ups and industry ecosystem partners to research and develop these use cases.
• The research projects undertaken by the CoE will include the design of advanced robotics, AI and automation solutions built upon next-generation telecom networks and their applications for solving societally relevant problems.
• Nokia has been present in India since the last 22 years and deployed all technologies that have been used for mobile communication starting from 2G in 2000, 3G in 2011, 4G in 2012 and gearing up for commercial 5G.

• State-run Coffee Board is planning to focus on developing new varieties that will be resistant to the changing climatic patterns.
• A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Coffee Board and the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) was signed with regard to breeding climate-resilient varieties and assessing the carbon sequestration potential in coffee among others.
• The Central Coffee Research Institute (CCRI) in the Chikmagalur district of Karnataka conducts plant-related research activities under the Board in the areas of plant breeding, agronomy, agriculture chemistry and soil science, plant physiology, pathology, entomology, and post-harvest technology, among others.
• In recent years, coffee growers in the country have borne the brunt of changing climatic patterns. The number of extreme weather events affecting growers, such as excessive rain in a short period or deficit rainfall, is increasing.

• In view of recent accidents in Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Jharkhand, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has launched a nationwide survey of passenger cable cars and ropeway systems to find out possible security flaws and prepare a structural blueprint for effective rescue operations.
• The NDRF has also decided to train its rescuers in specific ropeway rescue skills, apart from purchasing a range of tools for transporting team to evacuate stranded people from a hanging car.
• Three persons were killed and 12 rescued after cable cars got trapped mid-air on a ropeway at Trikut Hills in Jharkhand’s Deoghar district in April. A 40-hour-long operation was conducted by the Indian Air Force, NDRF, Army, ITBP and local administration after the incident.
• Eleven persons were stranded for hours after a cable car got stuck mid-air at Timber Trail in Parwanoo, Himachal Pradesh, in June. They were rescued after a six-hour operation undertaken by the NDRF and other agencies.
• In a similar incident in May, pilgrims visiting a shrine in Maihar town of Madhya Pradesh were rescued about an hour after they were stuck in cable cars.
• Officers from all 16 NDRF battalions across the country have been asked to conduct a survey in their jurisdiction and visit ropeway systems, carry out a security and operations analysis and submit a report to their headquarters.
• A final report on this would be submitted to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs with recommendations on remedial measures for the public and private sector operators.

• The state government has approved a project to develop state highway leading from Gaggal to Guler in Kangra district as a heritage road. The project aims at developing the road so that the tourists coming to Kangra district could travel and visit heritage structures on the said road. There are many heritage buildings on road, including the rock-cut Masrur temples that are under the protection of Archeological Survey of India (ASI) and Guler Fort of former rulers of Guler state of Kangra. Beside the said buildings, there were many heritage temples and building along the road. The idea is to take tourists coming to Kangra valley for a heritage trip on the road.
• The state government has approved the project to develop 46-km road leading from Gaggal to Guler as heritage road. The funding for developing the road is proposed to be provided by the Asian Development Bank.
• Including the rock-cut Masrur temples. Experts are of the opinion that they have similarity with Ankor temples of Cambodia.
• Rock-cut temples located in small and remote hamlet Masrur have been an enigma for historians and archeologists. Even the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) officials, who are maintaining the site, are not sure about history of temples. However, a book written by Professor NK Singh “Coronation of Shiva Rediscovering Masrur temple” has tried to solve the mystery.
• Masrur temples are one of the four monolithic rock-cut temples in the country. The other three are Kailash of Ellora, Mamlapuram in Deccan and Dhamnar temples in Rajasthan. While these are in a pit or on the ground, Masrur temples are unique as they are located on the hill top.

• Novak Djokovic beats Nick Kyrgios for 7th Wimbledon title.
• Elena Rybakina became the first player from Kazakhstan to win a Grand Slam title.
• Rybakina was born in Russia and still has a home in Moscow. The 23-year-old, who became the first player from Kazakhstan to win a Grand Slam title, emigrated to her neighbouring country to take advantage of top tennis facilities, a paid stipend, and many other things offered to her by the Kazakhstan tennis federation.

• India is projected to surpass China as the world’s most populous country next year, according to a report by the United Nations.
• According to, the World Population Prospects 2022 by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division, the global population is projected to reach eight billion on November 15, 2022.
• The latest projections by the United Nations suggest that the world’s population could grow to around 8.5 billion in 2030 and 9.7 billion in 2050.
• It is projected to reach a peak of around 10.4 billion people during the 2080s and to remain at that level until 2100.
• According to the report, India is projected to surpass China as the world’s most populous country during 2023.”
• The world’s two most populous regions in 2022 were Eastern and South-Eastern Asia, with 2.3 billion people, representing 29 per cent of the global population, and Central and Southern Asia, with 2.1 billion, representing 26 per cent of the total world population.
• China and India accounted for the largest populations in these regions, with more than 1.4 billion each in 2022.
• More than half of the projected increase in global population up to 2050 will be concentrated in just eight countries of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines and Tanzania.
• According to the report, India’s population stands at 1.412 billion in 2022, compared to China’s 1.426 billion.
• India, which will surpass China as the world’s most populous nation by 2023, is projected to have a population of 1.668 billion in 2050, way ahead of China’s 1.317 billion people by the middle of the century.

• National Fisheries Development Board, Union Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, celebrated the 22nd National Fish Farmers Day today in a hybrid mode at NFDB Hyderabad.
• More than 1000 fish farmers, aquapreneurs & fisher folks, professionals, officials and scientists from across the nation participated in the event.
• The country stands second in fish production through aquaculture.
• The Government has launched the PMMSY, FIDF and KCC for benefit of the fishers and fish farmers in the country.
• To promote seaweed cultivation the Government of India sanctioned Seaweed Park in Tamil Nadu and fishing harbours are being modernized across the country.
• Government is implementing the flagship scheme of PMMSY for benefit of fishers and fish farmers in the country with a highest outlay of Rs.20050 crore.
• On the occasion NFDB and State Bank of India signed MOU to facilitate FIDF & Entrepreneur Models scheme.