National Strategy for Sustainable Tourism and Responsible Traveller campaign

• On the occasion, the Ministry of Tourism launched the National Strategy for Sustainable Tourism and Responsible Traveller Campaign.
• The Strategy document has identified the strategic pillars for development of sustainable tourism like Promoting Environmental Sustainability, Protecting Biodiversity, Promoting Economic Sustainability, Promoting Socio-Cultural Sustainability, Scheme for Certification of Sustainable Tourism, IEC and Capacity Building and Governance. 

Health Minister Mandaviya to inaugurate Food testing Lab in Bihar

• This laboratory has been established under Indo - Nepal bilateral agreement to reduce the time in testing of imported food samples brought into Raxaul from Nepal.
• It will facilitate cross-border trade with Nepal through reduced time of testing and faster report generation for the imported samples.
• Earlier, all the imported samples having legal sanctity were being sent to National Food Laboratory, Kolkata, for the purpose of testing.

Gujarat villagers turn farm into wetland to save crane eggs

• The sarus crane (Antigone antigone) is a large non-migratory crane.
• It is found in open wetlands in South Asia, seasonally flooded Dipterocarpus forests in Southeast Asia, and Eucalyptus-dominated woodlands and grasslands in Australia.
• The Sarus crane is the tallest flying bird in the world standing 152-156 cm tall with a wingspan of 240cm. The sarus crane is easily distinguished from other cranes in the region by its overall grey colour and the contrasting red head and upper neck.
• The main threat to the Sarus crane in India is habitat loss and degradation due to draining the wetland and conversion of land for agriculture.
• Status: Listed in Schedule IV of the Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972 of India and as Vulnerable on IUCN Red List.

Millions prepare to celebrate World Environment Day

• The day is observed to raise global awareness to take positive environmental action to protect nature and the planet Earth.
• It is observed on 5th of June every year since 1973 as part of the United Nations Environment Programme to build awareness to save life on planet Earth.
• World Environment Day was established in 1972 by the United Nations at the Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment ( 5–16 June 1972), that had resulted from discussions on the integration of human interactions and the environment.
• The theme of this year''s World Environment Day is - only one Earth.
• “Only One Earth” was also the slogan for the first United Nations Conference on the Human Environment, held in Stockholm in 1972.

Gait analysis the way you walk can point to your role in crime

• Gait is defined as a manner of walking or moving on foot. Gait analysis is a technique in podiatry medical care and the treatment of the foot, which is used to evaluate and diagnose conditions that affect walking and posture.
• The analysis can help experts zero in on the source of an injury or pain that determines the way in which an individual stands or walks. It can also be used by physiotherapists for treatment, and in athletics training so that athletes can perform better and in greater comfort.
• Gait analysis techniques have now been borrowed by forensic sciences experts to identify suspects in criminal cases. With footage from CCTV cameras becoming a crucial element in fighting and preventing a range of crimes especially in the cities, gait analysis has begun to be used as a tool for focusing on or eliminating individuals from a list of suspects.

Turkey rebrands as Türkiye at the United Nations

• Domestically, citizens refer to the land as Turkiye, but its anglicised version ‘Turkey’ was adopted internationally following the country’s independence in 1923.
• Apparently, the country’s government was not pleased with the Google search results that came up for the word ‘Turkey’. Some of these results included the large bird that is served for Thanksgiving and Christmas meals in North America.
• The government has also had objections to Cambridge Dictionary’s definition of the term “turkey”; “something that fails badly” or “a stupid or silly person”.

other countries changed their names

• There are other countries that have changed their names either to drop colonial legacies or rebrand, as is the case with Turkey. Some examples include
  • The Netherlands, which was changed from Holland;
  • Macedonia, which changed its name to North Macedonia due to political disputes with Greece;
  • Iran, which changed its name from Persia in 1935;
  • Siam, which changed its name to Thailand; and
  • Rhodesia, which changed to Zimbabwe to drop its colonial legacy.

PM Modi to attend programme on Save Soil Movement

• Save Soil Movement is a global movement to increase awareness about deteriorating soil health and bring about a conscious response to improve soil.
• The movement was started by Sadhguru in March this year, who embarked on a 100-day motorcycle journey passing through 27 countries.
• The Save Soil movement strives to rally the environmentally-conscious around soil conservation, advocating the power of individual actions for policy change and public engagement.
• Prime Minister’s participation in the programme will be reflective of the shared concerns and commitment towards improving the health of soil in the country.

New Initiatives by GeM to promote sustainable public procurement of products and services

• Since the launch of Green Room Air Conditioners [RAC] in June 2021, GeM has taken a series of path-breaking steps to roll out new features and functionalities on the portal to promote the adoption of environmentally sustainable products and services.
• The purchase of Green RACs is on a voluntary basis. and the faster adoption of such products by government buyers will pave the way for realizing India’s SDG target 12.7 – aims to “Promote public procurement practices that are sustainable, in accordance with national policies and priorities.”
• GeM has introduced “The Green Gold Collection”, a dedicated online market store to showcase a range of bamboo accessories for potential use in the construction sector.
• GeM is working towards the launch of a new service “Green Transition Service” on the GeM portal for buyers who seek a structured framework to achieve carbon neutrality and aim for being net zero Carbon emissions in their operations.

PM Modi To Launch Global Event For Environment-Friendly Lifestyle Ideas

• The launch will initiate ‘LiFE Global Call for Papers’ inviting ideas and suggestions from academics, universities & research institutions etc to influence and persuade individuals, communities and organisations across the world to adopt an environment conscious lifestyle.
• The idea of LiFE was introduced by the Prime Minister during the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties COP-26 in Glasgow last year.
• The idea promotes an environment-conscious lifestyle that focuses on mindful and deliberate utilisation instead of mindless and destructive consumption.

Govt To Launch ''Clean And Green'' Campaign

• Under this campaign, Urban Local Bodies across the country will hold awareness programmes to free the country from single-use plastic and contribute to improve the environment.
• The Ministry also has issued a detailed advisory to State and Union Territories in this direction.
• In the advisory, the Ministry has instructed to ban Single-Use Plastic by 30th of June.
• The Ministry further said that States and Urban Local Bodies have to enter into Memorandum of Understanding with nearby cement plants or other industrial units.
• It also directed to ensure that a part of the plastic waste generated is used either as an alternative fuel in cement plants, or for road construction purposes.
• The advisory stresses on large-scale people participation to carry forward the message of Single-Use Plastics ban and enforcement.