1. WORLD CRAFTS COUNCIL INTERNATIONAL (Syllabus: GS Paper 1 – Art and Culture)

Context; Recently, the World Crafts Council International (WCCI) selected Srinagar to map its craft clusters, paving the way for its final nomination as the World Craft City (WCC) from India this year.

World Crafts Council International (WCCI)

• About: It was established by Ms. Aileen Osborn Vanderbilt Webb, Ms. Margaret M. Patch, and Smt Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay at the 1st World Crafts Council General Assembly in New York on June 12, 1964.
• Formal Constitution: In November 2012, the organization was formally constituted as an International Association without lucrative purpose, at 17/02, rue de la Trouille, 7000 Mons, Belgium.
• Presidential Term: As per its Bylaws, the Presidency of the organization changes every four years.
• Headquarters: The current headquarters for the term (2021-2024) is located in the State of Kuwait.
• Affiliation with UNESCO: Since its inception, the World Crafts Council AISBL has been affiliated with UNESCO under Consultative Status for many years.
• Mission: Dedicated to fostering the preservation, promotion, and advancement of global craftsmanship and traditional crafts, the WCC-International aims to empower artisans, celebrate cultural diversity, contribute to sustainable development, and preserve languishing crafts from extinction.
• Objective: To strengthen the status of crafts in cultural and economic life, promoting fellowship among craftspersons, fostering cultural exchange, and promoting wider knowledge and recognition of craftspeople's work while respecting their diverse cultural and national backgrounds.

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2. SARAH (Syllabus GS Paper 3 – Sci & Tech)

Context: The World Health Organization (WHO) recently launched SARAH, short for Smart AI Resource Assistant for Health to provide basic health information through a human-like avatar.

SARAH (Smart AI Resource Assistant for Health)

• About: It is an AI enabled bot to provide basic health information through a human-like avatar.

oIt is a virtual health worker that’s available to talk 24/7 in eight different languages to explain topics like mental health, tobacco use and healthy eating.

• Launched by: WHO under it’s part of the campaign to find technology that can both educate people and fill staffing gaps with the world facing a health-care worker shortage.

oWHO says SARAH is meant to work in partnership with researchers and governments to provide accurate public health.

Drawbacks:

• It provides responses that “may not always be accurate.
• SARAH doesn’t have a diagnostic feature like WebMD or Google.
• SARAH was trained on OpenAI’s ChatGPT 3.5, which used data through September 2021, so the bot doesn’t have up-to-date information on medical advisories or news events.

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3. WORLD HERITAGE DAY 2024 (Syllabus: GS Paper 1 – Art and Culture)

Context: Survival International recently accused UNESCO of complicity in the illegal eviction and abuse of Indigenous people, unveiling their findings in a new report released on World Heritage Day 2024.

World Heritage Day 2024

• About: This day is celebrated annually on the 18th of April.
• Also known as:  International Day for Monuments and Sites
• Objective: To pay tribute to and ensure the protection of our cultural heritage.
• Theme: ‘Discover and Experience Diversity’
• History: The International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) instituted World Heritage Day in 1982.

o The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) officially endorsed the date during its 22nd General Meeting in 1983.

Key Points highlighted by Survival international

• Many UNESCO World Heritage Sites are situated on land that was once inhabited by indigenous peoples.
• The report identifies six UNESCO World Heritage Sites occupying land stolen from indigenous communities, with three located in Africa and three in Asia.
• The listed sites include Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Kahuzi-Biega National Park, Odzala-Kokoua National Park, Kaeng Krachan Forest Complex, Kaziranga National Park, and Chitwan National Park.
• Survival International highlights that all six sites are plagued by serious and ongoing human rights violations related to conservation efforts.

Significance

o It serves to increase awareness among local communities regarding the importance of preserving our cultural heritage.

o The day fosters cultural exchange among people from various regions and backgrounds, promoting knowledge sharing about their respective histories and traditions.

o ICOMOS collaborates with UNESCO globally to mark this day, organizing events that attract tourists and enthusiasts passionate about history.

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4. AIRBORNE VIRUS (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Sci and Tech)

Context: Airborne viruses will be called “pathogens that transmit through the air” under new terminology the World Health Organization hopes will end a scientific rift that hampered the early response to Covid-19.

Airborne Virus

• About: these are bacteria or viruses that are most commonly transmitted through small respiratory droplets.
• Types of Air-borne Disease:  Influenza, Common Cold,  Mumps, Chicken Pox, Measles · Tuberculosis, Whooping Cough, Diphtheria etc.
• Transmission: Aerosolized particles from infected individuals spread through coughing, sneezing, breathing, and talking, facilitating easy transmission.
• Surface Contamination: Some airborne pathogens can survive on surfaces for a short period, leading to potential transmission through contact with contaminated surfaces.
• Stability of Airborne Viruses: While airborne viruses are generally unstable outside the host body, caution is necessary as infected body fluid droplets can still transmit infections.
• Treatment: Unlike some other diseases, airborne viruses often lack specific medications for treatment, emphasizing the importance of preventive measures and early intervention with antiviral drugs like Tamiflu in certain cases.

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5. UN Women (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – Social Issues)

Context: Gaza is currently grappling with a humanitarian crisis, particularly affecting women and girls, as highlighted in a recent UN Women report, "Scarcity and Fear," which underscores the dire repercussions of restricted access to water, sanitation, and hygiene services.

UN Women

• About: It is the United Nations entity devoted to promoting gender equality and empowering women globally.
• Global Advocacy: It serves as a global advocate for the rights and well-being of women and girls worldwide.
• Accelerating Progress: Established to expedite progress in meeting the needs of women and girls on a global scale.
• Setting Standards: UN Women assists UN Member States in establishing and upholding global standards for achieving gender equality.
• Collaboration and Support: It collaborates with governments and civil society to develop laws, policies, programs, and services aimed at effectively implementing these standards.
• Coordination Role: UN Women coordinates and promotes the UN system's efforts in advancing gender equality globally.
• Integration with 2030 Agenda: It ensures that gender equality is central to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and advocates for a more inclusive world through its work.
• Focusing on four strategic priorities:

o Women lead, participate in and benefit equally from governance systems

o Women have income security, decent work and economic autonomy

o All women and girls live a life free from all forms of violence 

o Women and girls contribute to and have greater influence in building sustainable peace and resilience, and benefit equally from the prevention of natural disasters and conflicts and humanitarian action.

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6. VARIABLE REVERSE REPO RATE (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Economy)

Context: Recently, the Reserve Bank of India conducted a two-day variable rate reverse repo (VRRR) auction as the liquidity surplus in the banking system approached Rs 1 trillion.

Variable Reverse Repo Rate (VRRR)

• About: It  is a monetary tool used by central banks to manage liquidity within the banking system.
• Implementation: Since January 2021, RBI has employed VRRR auctions, intensifying the frequency to 14 days in August 2021.
• Future Directions: In December, RBI hinted at utilizing longer-term VRRRs without disclosing specifics on size and maturity, signifying its pivotal role in liquidity management.
• Focus: RBI indicates a shift towards using VRRR auctions as its primary liquidity management operation.

Significance

• Liquidity Absorption: Given surplus liquidity estimated at Rs 9.5 lakh crore in October 2021, VRRR serves as a crucial tool alongside reverse repo rates to absorb excess funds effectively.
• Long-term Solutions: Long-term VRRR options offer potential avenues for liquidity management, with the possibility of increasing auction sizes and tenors.
• Impact on Banking Products: Banks incentivized by long-term VRRR may offer higher interest rates on fixed deposits, potentially influencing returns on short-term products like overnight and liquid funds.

Variable Repo Rate

• About: It comes into play when the RBI aims to inject liquidity into the economy, but banks show reluctance to borrow from the RBI at the Repo Rates. This scenario usually occurs when interest rates in the economy are already low.
• Purpose: The VRR allows banks to borrow from the RBI at a rate determined by the market, typically lower than the Repo Rate (but not less than the Reverse Repo Rate). This borrowing can extend beyond a one-day duration.

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7. PM UJJWALA YOJANA (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – Govt Schemes)

Context: Recently, the government, through its flagship Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, has extended clean cooking fuel benefits to 103.3 million households as of the end of 2023-24, as per Petroleum Planning and Analysis Cell data.

PM Ujjwala Yojana

• Launched: May 2016.
• Ministry: Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.
• Objective: To make clean cooking fuel such as LPG available to the rural and deprived households that were otherwise using traditional cooking fuels such as firewood, coal, cow-dung cakes, etc.
• Target: LPG connections to 5 crore women members of BPL households.
• Expansion: The scheme was expanded in April 2018.
• Beneficiaries: Women beneficiaries from 7 more categories- SC/ST, PMAY, AAY, Most backward classes, tea garden, forest dwellers, and Islands.
• Expansion of Beneficiaries: About 10.27 crore beneficiaries are set to benefit from the continuation of the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY).
• Subsidy Structure: Initially, a targeted subsidy of ₹200 per cylinder for up to 12 refills annually was provided to PMUY consumers.

oIn October 2023, the subsidy was increased to ₹300 per cylinder for the same refills per year.

• Increased Consumption: The average LPG consumption among PMUY consumers has risen by 29% from 3.01 refills in 2019-20 to 3.87 refills (till January 2024) pro-rated for 2023-24.

oAll PMUY beneficiaries are eligible for the targeted subsidy based on their increased consumption.

Data of Petroleum Planning & Analysis Cell (PPAC)

• Domestic PNG Connections in India: As of February, domestic PNG connections in the country reached 12.56 million according to PPAC data.
• Government's Target: The government aims for 125 million PNG connections by 2030, encompassing both rural and urban areas.
• Regional Disparities: Haryana and Himachal Pradesh exhibit the lowest number of PNG connections, with only 48 households having access to piped gas in the entire region.
• Regions with No Connections: Six regions reported no PNG connections at all, including Jammu and Kashmir, Telangana, Karnataka, Puducherry, Maharashtra & Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Uttar Pradesh.

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8. MISLEADING ADVERTISEMENTS (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Economy)

Context: Despite recently tendering an "unqualified and unconditional apology," the Supreme Court maintains that Patanjali Ayurved's Managing Director and cofounder, also a self-styled yoga guru, are still "not off the hook" for promoting misleading advertisements of their ayurvedic products.

Misleading Advertisements

• Definition: Under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, misleading advertisement" in relation to any product or service, means an advertisement, which—

oFalsely describes such product or service; or 

oGives a false guarantee to, or is likely to mislead the consumers as to the nature, substance, quantity or quality of such product or service; or

o Conveys an express or implied representation which, if made by the manufacturer or seller or service provider thereof, would constitute an unfair trade practice; or

oDeliberately conceals important information.

Guidelines for Prevention of Misleading Advertisements and Endorsements for Misleading Advertisements, 2022: It  define “bait advertisement”, “surrogate advertisement” and clearly provides what constitutes as “free claim advertisements”.

• Bait Advertisement: “Bait advertisement” means an advertisement in which goods, product or service is offered for sale at a low price to attract consumers;
• Surrogate Advertisement: “Surrogate advertisement” means an advertisement for goods, product or service, whose advertising is otherwise prohibited or restricted by law, by circumventing such prohibition or restriction and portraying it to be an advertisement for other goods, product or service, the advertising of which is not prohibited or restricted by law.
• Online Consumer Reviews: The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has notified framework on ‘Online Consumer Reviews Principles and Requirements for their Collection, Moderation and Publication’.
• Objective: For safeguarding and protecting consumer interest from fake and deceptive reviews in e-commerce. 

o The standards are voluntary and are applicable to every online platform which publishes consumer reviews. 

o The guiding principles of the standard are integrity, accuracy, privacy, security, transparency, accessibility and responsiveness.

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9. SPACE (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Sci and Tech)

Context: Recently, the Secretary of Defence (R&D) and Chairman of DRDO inaugurated the state-of-the-art Submersible Platform for Acoustic Characterisation and Evaluation (SPACE) at the Underwater Acoustic Research Facility in Kulamavu, Idukki, Kerala.

SPACE

• Origin: Established by the Naval Physical & Oceanographic Laboratory of DRDO.
• Objective: Designed as a premier testing and evaluation hub for sonar systems for the Indian Navy.
• Composition: Comprises a floating platform and a submersible platform.
• Applications of the SPACE:
• Sonar System Evaluation: Enables comprehensive testing of sonar systems for the Indian Navy.
• Scientific Package Deployment: Facilitates quick deployment and recovery of scientific packages, including sensors and transducers.
• Survey and Data Collection: Allows for surveying, sampling, and data collection of various parameters across different depths using modern instrumentation.

Sonar 

• About: It stands for Sound Navigation and Ranging, a tool utilizing sound waves for ocean exploration.
• Applications of Sonar: Scientists employ sonar for various purposes including developing nautical charts, locating underwater hazards, identifying objects in water, and mapping the seafloor.
• Importance in Oceanography: Sonar is crucial in oceanography due to the ability of sound waves to travel further in water compared to radar and light waves.

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10. MOUNT RUANG (Syllabus: GS Paper 1 – Geography)

Context: Recently, a tsunami alert was issued in Indonesia following multiple eruptions of the Ruang mountain volcano, sending ash and lava thousands of feet into the sky.

Mount Ruang

• About: It is located in the North Sulawesi Province, prone to regular volcanic activity.
• Geological Structure: Stratovolcanoes like Mount Ruang are characterized by their conical shape and steep slopes.
• First Eruption: 1808

Volcanic Eruptions

• About: It is an opening in the earth’s surface that allows magma, volcanic ash, and gases to escape. They form at tectonic plate boundaries or hotspots.
• Process of Eruption: Volcanic eruption occurs when gas and/or lava are released from a volcano, sometimes explosively, due to pressure buildup.
• Environmental Benefits: Volcanoes offer environmental benefits such as fertile soils, hydrothermal energy, and valuable minerals due to volcanic activity.
• Hazards Associated: Volcanic hazards include ash clouds, gases, lahars (mud flows), landslides, lava flows, and pyroclastic flows (hot gas currents).
• Deadly Consequences: Volcanic eruptions can be deadly, causing population displacement, food shortages, and significant loss of life.

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