theIASHub | 04 Jun, 2025 | 152
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ICRISAT Centre of Excellence for South-South Cooperation in Agriculture (ISSCA): Recently, the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), in partnership with the Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS), launched the ICRISAT Centre of Excellence for South-South Cooperation in Agriculture (ISSCA).
o HQ in Hyderabad, Telangana, India.
o Member of the CGIAR Consortium, a global partnership of 15 research centers working towards food security.
o Provides improved crop varieties and hybrids to farmers and supports smallholder farmers in dryland regions to combat climate change.
o Empowers poor farmers to overcome poverty, hunger, and environmental degradation through sustainable agriculture.
o Conducts research aimed at environmental protection.
o Facilitating sharing of insights and expertise among developing nations.
o Promoting the adoption of tested agricultural innovations across regions.
o Building collaborative networks among stakeholders in the Global South.
Clean Plant Program : Recently, the Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare announced the launch of nine 'Clean Plant' projects across the country, including three in Maharashtra.
o The announcement came during the concluding session of India’s first International Agri Hackathon in Pune.
o Goal: To improve crop productivity and quality by giving farmers access to certified, disease-free plants, which helps reduce crop losses and boost yields.
o Funding: The Ministry of Agriculture has proposed a budget of Rs 1,765 crore for the programme.
o Financial Structure: Half of the funds will come from the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH), and the other half will be secured as a loan from the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
Polar Research Vessel (PRV ) : Recently, Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Limited (GRSE), Kolkata, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Norway’s Kongsberg Oslo to design and build India’s first Polar Research Vessel (PRV).
o Strengthens climate change research and marine biodiversity monitoring.
o Positions India as a leader in scientific research and shipbuilding.
o Reinforces commitment to sustainability and international partnerships.
o Highlighted India as the second-largest seafarer contributor to the NSA’s global fleet and holding an 11% share in NSA’s order book.
o Promoted India’s ship recycling industry, with 87% of yards compliant with Hong Kong Convention (HKC) standards.Centre for Marine Living Resources and Ecology (CMLRE) : Recently, the Centre for Marine Living Resources and Ecology (CMLRE) under the Ministry of Earth Sciences launched an oceanographic research cruise to assess the ecological and biogeochemical impact of a cargo vessel sinking near Kochi in the Arabian Sea.
o The vessel was carrying 643 containers, including 13 with hazardous materials.
o Conducts R&D in basic sciences related to Marine Living Resources and Ecology.
o Develops management strategies for marine resources through ecosystem monitoring and modeling.
o Strengthens research and maintains a data center for marine living resources information dissemination.
o Established in Kochi in 1998 by upgrading the Sagar Sampada Cell with dedicated facilities for marine living resources research.
Status of Ungulates in Tiger Habitats of India Report Recently, the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) and the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) released a report titled "Status of Ungulates in Tiger Habitats of India."
o High bushmeat hunting, civil unrest, and Left Wing Extremism are hampering wildlife conservation in these regions. Many reserves in eastern India fall below the minimum required prey density of 30 ungulates per sq km to sustain tiger populations.
o Located in Dehradun, Uttarakhand, adjacent to Rajaji National Park.
o Internationally recognized for training, academic courses, and advisory services in wildlife research and management.
o Conducts extensive research on biodiversity and wildlife across India.
o Provides legal authority to Project Tiger to ensure compliance with its directives.
o Promotes accountability between Central and State governments via MoUs for managing Tiger Reserves.
o Ensures oversight by Parliament on tiger conservation efforts.
o Addresses livelihood interests of local communities around Tiger Reserves.
Composition: Minister in charge of MoEFCC (Chairperson) , Minister of State, MoEFCC (Vice-Chairperson), Three members of Parliament, Secretary, MoEFCC & Other members.Aravalli Green Wall Project : Recently, on the occasion of World Environment Day (June 5), the Centre is set to officially launch the Aravalli Green Wall Project.
o Plant native trees and shrubs on degraded lands and restore water bodies like ponds and streams.
o Promote agroforestry and pasture development to support local livelihoods and sustainable income.
o Enhance ecological health by preventing soil erosion, desertification, dust storms, and Thar Desert expansion.
o Increase carbon sequestration to combat climate change and meet India’s commitments.
o They regulate groundwater recharge and sustain the Luni, Banas, and Sabarmati river systems.
o The region hosts key wildlife species such as tigers, leopards, sloth bears, wolves, and many endemic plants.
o Aravallis act as a climatic barrier, slowing desertification and preventing dust storms from reaching the Indo-Gangetic plains.
Flue Gas Desulphurization (FGD) : Recently, the Central Scientific Committee suggested removing the rule that requires most coal-fired thermal power plants (TPPs) in India to install Flue Gas Desulphurization (FGD) units..
o The process uses absorbents to capture up to 95% of SO₂ from flue gas emissions.
o Common absorbents include ammonia, sodium sulfite, and widely used lime or limestone slurry.
o In this process, uncleaned flue gas passes through a scrubber tower where it is sprayed with a water-limestone mixture.
o A chemical reaction in the scrubber binds the sulfur dioxide, effectively cleaning the gas before release.
o Installing FGDs on all plants by 2030 may add around 69 million tons of CO2 emissions.
o This CO2 increase outweighs the benefit of reducing sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions by 17 million tons.
o Since SO2 is a short-lived pollutant and CO2 is a long-lived greenhouse gas, the overall impact could worsen global warming.
Contempt Of Court : Recently, the Supreme Court clarified that laws passed by Parliament or State legislatures, even if enacted after court orders, do not amount to contempt of court.
o It includes acts like disobeying court orders, tampering with witnesses, withdrawing evidence, or defying court directives.
o Governed by the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971, enacted based on recommendations from the H.N. Sanyal Committee.
ü Defined under Section 2(b) of the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971.
o Criminal Contempt: Actions or publications that: (i)Scandalize or lower the authority of any court (ii)Prejudice or interfere with judicial proceedings (iii) Obstruct or tend to obstruct the administration of justice.
ü Defined under Section 2(c) of the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971.
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