1. SWAYATT initiative

Recently, the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) has commemorated six years of the SWAYATT initiative.

• About SWAYATT Initiative: Launched in 2019, with objective to invigorate participation of startups, women entrepreneurs, Micro & Small Enterprises (MSEs), Self Help Groups (SHGs), and youth, especially those from backward sections, in public procurement.

o Key Features: Facilitates training and on boarding of last-mile sellers → Develops women entrepreneurship → Encourages participation of small-scale businesses in government procurement.

o Recent Developments: GeM signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry Ladies Organisation (FICCI-FLO), representing over 9,500 women entrepreneurs.

o Impact: Women entrepreneurs constitute 8% of the total seller base on GeM.

• About Government e-Marketplace (GeM): An online market platform established in 2016 for government procurement of goods and services.

o Objective: Serves as the National Procurement Portal of India for ministries, departments, and PSUs.

o Development: Created by the Directorate General of Supplies and Disposals (Ministry of Commerce & Industry) with technical support from the National e-Governance Division (MeitY).

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2. PRAKRITI 2025

The International Conference on Carbon Markets, Prakriti 2025, recently concluded successfully.

• About Prakriti 2025: Organized by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency under the Ministry of Power and the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
• Objective: Served as a platform for in-depth discussions on global carbon market trends, challenges, and future pathways.
• About Carbon Market: A system for buying and selling the right to emit carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere.
• Carbon Credits: Governments issue carbon credits, where 1 credit = 1,000 kg of CO2 emissions.
• Purpose: Limits total carbon emissions by restricting the number of credits issued.
• Trading Mechanism:

o Excess Emission: Firms exceeding their quota must buy additional credits.

o Low Emission: Firms emitting less can sell unused credits.

o Incentive: Creates a financial push for emission reduction.

• Origin: Concept first emerged in the 1990s (U.S.) to regulate sulphur dioxide emissions using a cap-and-trade model.
• Expansion: Now includes carbon offsets, where businesses fund environmental projects (e.g., tree planting) to compensate for emissions.

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3. Cali Fund

The ‘Cali Fund’ was launched recently to resume 16th Conference of Parties (COP16) to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in Rome.

• About Cali Fund: It is a new international fund, created to help protect biodiversity.

o Purpose: Aims to collect contributions from businesses utilizing genetic resources, ensuring fair benefit-sharing with indigenous communities and local populations.

o Beneficiaries: At least half of the funds are designated for indigenous peoples and local communities.

o Corporate Participation: Encourages companies to allocate a portion of their profits or revenues to the fund; discussions with firms from various countries, including the United States, are underway.

• About Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD): It is an international agreement that aims to conserve biodiversity, sustainably use its components, and fairly share the benefits from genetic resources.
• About COP16: The 16th Conference of the Parties (COP16) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) was held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia from December, 2024.
• Theme: "Our Land. Our Future".
• Key Objectives:

o Developing a global financing mechanism to mobilize $200 billion annually for biodiversity protection.

o Establishing a framework for monitoring and evaluating progress towards the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework targets.

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4. Thames River

A recent study indicates that climate change is set to increase algal blooms in Thames River, despite a significant reduction in phosphorus levels over the past decades.

• About Thames River: Total Length is 346 km, making it the longest river in England and the second longest in the UK (after River Severn).
• Flows Through: Southern England, passing major cities like London, Reading, Windsor, and Oxford (where it is also called the Isis River).
• Course:

o Origin: Thames Head, Cotswold Hills, Gloucestershire.

o Mouth: North Sea, via the Thames Estuary.

o Nore Sandbank: Marks the meeting point of the Thames and North Sea.

o Basin Area: Covers approximately 16,130 sq. km.

• Major Tributaries: Lea, Leach, Churn, Coln, Windrush, Kennet, Evenlode, Ock, and Loddon.
• About Algal Blooms: Rapid increase in algae population in aquatic systems, often visible as green scum on water surfaces.
• Role of Phosphorus:

o Primary Nutrient: Phosphorus is a key nutrient that promotes algal growth.

o Sources: Commonly enters water bodies through agricultural runoff containing fertilizers and effluent discharge.

• Impact of Elevated Phosphorus Levels:

o Eutrophication: Excess phosphorus leads to nutrient-rich conditions, causing dense algal blooms.

o Oxygen Depletion: Decomposition of abundant algae consumes dissolved oxygen, potentially resulting in fish kills and biodiversity loss.

• Case Studies: Bengaluru Lakes & Ukkadam Lake

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5. Kundi

Traditional rainwater harvesting structures called kundis have been instrumental in providing potable water in the arid regions of Rajasthan, India. These structures are now being revived to combat water scarcity in desert areas.

• About Kundi: It is a traditional rainwater harvesting structure prevalent in the Thar Desert of Rajasthan. It consists of a circular underground well surrounded by a saucer-shaped catchment
• area designed to collect and store rainwater.
• Structure and Function:

o Catchment Area: The area around the kundi is paved to channel rainwater into the well.

o Inlet: Rainwater is directed through an inlet into the underground storage.

o Storage: The underground well stores the collected rainwater, protecting it from evaporation and contamination.

• Historical Significance: Kundis have been used for centuries in Rajasthan as a reliable source of drinking water, especially during dry seasons. They exemplify the indigenous knowledge and ingenuity in water conservation in arid landscapes.
• Modern Relevance: With increasing water scarcity, there is a renewed interest in reviving and maintaining kundis. Efforts are being made to restore these structures to ensure sustainable water supply for local communities.

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6. Exercise DHARMA GUARDIAN

The Indian Army contingent has departed for the 6th edition of the India-Japan Joint Military Exercise, DHARMA GUARDIAN, scheduled from 24th February to 9th March 2025 in Japan.

• About Exercise Dharma Guardian: It is joint exercise conducted annually between India and Japan, alternating between the two nations.
• Objective: Enhances interoperability for joint urban warfare and counter-terrorism operations under a UN mandate.
• Focus Areas:

o validation exercise for counterterrorism drills in desert and semi-desert terrain. High physical fitness, joint planning, and tactical drills.

o Advanced Special Forces skills and modern tactics, techniques, and procedures aligned with current operational needs.

o 48-hour-long

• Cultural Exchange: Strengthens cultural and professional ties, fostering mutual respect through social interactions and understanding of each other's traditions and values.
• Significance: Facilitates knowledge-sharing on tactical operations, and enhances cooperation and coordination between the two forces.

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7. Olive Ridley Turtles

Nearly 700,000 Olive Ridley turtles have laid eggs at Odisha's Rushikulya rookery during an eight-day mass nesting period.

• About Olive Ridley Turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea) It’s named after the olive-green colour of its heart-shaped shell.
• Size & Habitat: Among the smallest sea turtles, found in the Pacific, Indian, and Atlantic Oceans, primarily in tropical regions.
• Diet: Carnivorous, feeding on jellyfish, shrimp, snails, crabs, mollusks, fish, and their eggs.
• Major Nesting Sites in India: Odisha’s Gahirmatha, Devi River mouth, and Rushikulya beaches host over 100,000 nests annually.
• Arribada: Mass nesting phenomenon where thousands of females gather to lay eggs on the same beach.
• Nesting Behaviour: Females return to the same beach where they hatched to lay eggs.
• Eggs hatch in 45-65 days, and hatchlings move toward the ocean.
• Global Nesting Sites: Odisha is the largest mass nesting site, followed by Mexico and Costa Rica.
• Population Decline: 30-50% global population reduction (IUCN estimates).
• Poaching & Exploitation: Despite a CITES Appendix I ban, turtles are still poached for meat, shell, leather, and eggs.
• Conservation Measures:

o Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs): Odisha government mandates TEDs in trawl nets to reduce accidental turtle deaths.

o Operation Olivia: Launched in the 1980s by the Indian Coast Guard.

• Metal Tagging: Started in 2021 by the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) and Odisha’s Forest Department.

o Non-corrosive metal tags help track movements and identify key habitats.

• Legal Protection:

o IUCN Status: Vulnerable

o Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972: Schedule I

o CITES: Appendix I

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