9th January, 2024 Current Affairs

Sakshi Education

NATIONAL
Government to Invest 60,000 Cr in River Cruise Tourism and Green Vessels

Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal announced a significant government investment of Rs 60,000 crore by 2047 in the development of river cruise tourism and eco-friendly vessels. This initiative aims to boost tourism, enhance water transport, and create employment opportunities.
Rs 45,000 crore would be allocated to river cruise development, increasing passenger capacity from 2 lakh to 15 lakh by 2047. Additionally, the government plans to invest Rs 15,000 crore over the next decade in green transport, intending to develop 1,000 environmentally friendly vessels and ferries.
The entire investment, guided by the PPP model, is expected to foster collaboration between the government and private entities. This approach aims to leverage resources efficiently and generate substantial employment opportunities.

INTERNATIONAL
Maldives govt suspends three ministers over derogatory remarks against foreign leaders & high-ranking individuals

The Maldivian government has suspended three deputy ministers following their derogatory remarks against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
It was aware of derogatory remarks on social media platforms against foreign leaders and high-ranking individuals. The statement added that the opinions were personal and did not represent the views of the government of Maldives.
The Maldivian government believes that the freedom of expression should be exercised in a democratic and responsible manner, and in ways that does not spread hatred, negativity, and hinders close relationships between the Maldives and its international partners.
Distancing itself from the comments of the suspended officials, the Maldives government in a statement said that the opinions did not represent the government’s views. The suspension comes as the officials had posted derogatory posts on Social Media platform X against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Several leaders in Maldives including former president Mohammed Nasheed had called for a strict action against the erring officials. It is notable that Tourism is the mainstay of Maldives Economy with India being the top source market.

Ambassador Indra Mani Pandey assumes charge of BIMSTEC Secretary General

Ambassador Indra Mani Pandey, a senior diplomat of India, assumed the position of Secretary General (SG) of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) in Dhaka.
Pandey, succeeded Tenzin Lekphell of Bhutan, is the 4th SG of BIMSTEC and will remain in office for a period of three years, said a press release issued by BIMSTEC Secretariat.
The new SG reiterated his commitment to work earnestly and with a new vigour to translate into reality the grand vision of BIMSTEC member states.
He pledged for expanding and deepening the growing cooperation amongst the BIMSTEC member States, within the framework of seven pillars of collaboration agreed by BIMSTEC Leaders.
The member States of BIMSTEC for entrusting him with the responsibility of Secretary General and sought their continued support and guidance to the Secretariat, enabling it to meet their expectations.
A career diplomat, Ambassador Pandey joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1990. Prior to taking over as SG, he served as the Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations and Other International Organizations in Geneva.

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SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
U.S. Launches Peregrine-1 Lander to Moon in Historic Lunar Mission

In a monumental achievement, the Peregrine-1 lunar lander, operated by private firm Astrobotic, successfully launched from Cape Canaveral, marking the first American lunar mission in 51 years. Scheduled to land on February 23, the mission, conducted under NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative, aims to study the Moon’s surface environment in preparation for upcoming human missions.
The Peregrine lander carries five NASA payloads and 15 other components designed to measure radiation, surface and subsurface water ice, magnetic fields, and the exosphere. Notably, it includes the first Latin American scientific instruments destined for the lunar surface. Additionally, five miniature moon rovers, non-scientific payloads like a Bitcoin-loaded coin, and a “lunar dream capsule” filled with messages from children worldwide are part of the mission.

The Indian Institute of Spices Research (IISR) Kozhikode has successfully developed a new granular lime-based Trichoderma formulation

The formulation named ‘Tricholime’, integrates Trichoderma and lime into a single product, making the application easier for farmers.
Trichoderma is a fungal biocontrol agent, has proven effective in suppressing several soil-borne plant pathogens and serves as a successful bio-pesticide and bio-fertilizer in crop production.
Recognizing the importance of Trichoderma and the challenges posed by traditional lime applications, the scientists at IISR developed ‘Tricholime’ to integrate lime and Trichoderma.
It can successfully eliminate the need for a time-consuming two-step process.
This lime-based formulation neutralizes the soil acidity while promoting plant growth and shields crops from soil-borne pathogens, all in a single application.
This formulation also benefits the crop by improving the physical condition of the soil, enhancing secondary nutrient availability and by boosting soil microbial activity, he added.
IISR hopes that the technology behind this product can also be extended to include other beneficial bio-agents, opening new possibilities in product development to support sustainable organic farming.

ENVIRONMENT

Warming oceans forced women in Zanzibar to switch from seaweed to climate-resilient sponge farming to stay afloat

Sponge farming is a relatively new business opportunity that does not harm the marine environment.
A sponge is a living animal which is made of loosely arranged cells that surround a skeleton of fibres.
The specialised cells nestled within thousands of tiny chambers act as microscopic pumps, and tirelessly drawing water into the sponge’s body with their whip-like tails.
Sponges provide homes for many other animals, plants, and microorganisms. In many cases, they all work together in a mutual symbiotic relationship.
Sea sponges exist in all oceans around the world and make up 20% of the global silicon biological sink.
This unique pumping mechanism, which helps sponges extract nutrition and oxygen, also purifies the ocean water by removing impurities, including sewage.
Uniqueness: Sponges, unlike seaweed, possess remarkable resilience to climate change, require minimal maintenance, and command premium market prices,
Reproduction: Most sponges are hermaphrodites, harbouring both male and female reproductive organs, enabling them to self-propagate effortlessly.
Dissolved silicon is critical for the growth of diatoms, tiny organisms which absorb large amounts of CO2 in the ocean using photosynthesis.

In a significant discovery, the hog deer has been spotted for the first time at the Rajaji Tiger Reserve

It is a solitary creature but sometimes spotted feeding in small groups in open fields when food there is plentiful.
For the most part it is sedentary and does not migrate.
Males tend to be territorial and mark their territory with glandular secretions.
This species exhibits sexual dimorphism. The females are slightly smaller than males and lack antlers.
It has a native geographic range throughout India, including the Himalayan foothill zone and Southeast Asia, including Burma and Thailand.
Humans have introduced free-ranging populations of this deer in Sri Lanka, Australia and the United States, including Texas, Florida, and Hawaii.
It appears to prefer dense forests; however, they are often observed in clearings, grasslands and occasionally wet grasslands.
This variation is usually associated with time of year and food distribution.
Rajaji Tiger Reserve is spread over three districts of Uttarakhand: Haridwar, Dehradun and Pauri Garhwal.
It is situated along the hills and foothills of the Shiwalik ranges.
In the year 1983, Rajaji Wildlife Sanctuary was merged with Motichur and Chilla wildlife sanctuaries and made into Rajaji National Park.
It was named after the famous freedom fighter Rajgopalachari popularly known as "Rajaji"
It's location in a transition zone between temperate western Himalaya and central Himalaya enhances the species diversity.
Vegetation: The area is covered with diverse forest types ranging from semi-evergreen to deciduous and from mixed broad-leaved to Terai grassland and has been classified as Indus-Ganges Monsoon Forest type.
Flora: Rohini, Palash, Shisham, Sal, Sandan, Khair, Arjun, Baans, Semul, Chamaror etc.
Fauna: Tiger and Asian Elephants. Leopard, Jungle cat and Himalayan Black Bear etc.

ANDHRAPRADESH

AP tops in education accessibility

Andhra Pradesh knocked out Kerala and secured the top spot in national education accessibility as per the Foundational Literacy and Numeracy report released by the EAC-PM (Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister.
Andhra Pradesh scored 38.50, outperforming Kerala which scored 36.55.
“With an impressive score of 38.50, AP outperforms Kerala (36.55) in the Foundational Literacy and Numeracy report released by EAC-PM.
The State of Foundational Literacy and Numeracy in India Report is a joint report published by the EAC-PM (Economic Advisory Council to Prime Minister), Government of India and Institute for Competitiveness.
It ranks states based on basic skills in reading, writing, and mathematics. Foundational Literacy and Numeracy is the ability to read and understand a basic text and perform simple mathematical calculations by the end of grade 3

Published date : 10 Jan 2024 01:25PM