Rhino reintroduction a hit in Assam Reserves

• Manas, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a tiger reserve, had about 100 resident rhinos prior to 1990, but a prolonged ethno-political conflict thereafter took a heavy toll with extremist groups known to have traded the horns of the herbivores for weapons.
• A rhino reintroduction programme under the Indian Rhino Vision 2020 was started in 2006.
• This entailed the translocation of rhinos from Kaziranga National Park and Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary besides orphans hand-reared at the Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation at Kaziranga.
• The current rhino population in the Manas National park was estimated at 40 after the census on April 1 and 2.

CCEA approves increase in MSP for all intended Kharif crops

• The highest absolute increase in MSP over the previous year has been recommended for Sesamum 523 rupees per quintal, Moong 480 rupees per quintal, Sunflower seed 385 rupees per quintal, Tur, Urad and Groundnut 300 rupees per quintal, Cotton (Medium Staple) 354 rupees and Cotton (Long Staple) 355 rupees.
• The approved rates are at least one and half times of the all India weighted average cost of production. It will lead to greater investment and production. It will also provide assured remunerative prices for the farmers.

UN nuclear watchdog passes resolution criticizing Iran

• The resolution was submitted by the UK, France, Germany and the US to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and was backed by 30 countries.
• Only Russia and China opposed the move. Iran condemned the resolution.
• The motion is the first to chide Iran over its nuclear ambitions since 2020. It comes as talks to revive the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) remain stalled.

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)

• The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is an international organization that seeks to promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy.
• Though IAEA was established as an autonomous organization on 29 July 1957 through its own international treaty, the IAEA Statute, the IAEA reports to both the United Nations General Assembly and Security Council.
• It is based in Vienna.

India set to reintroduce South African cheetah in a wildlife to Madhya Pradesh’s Kuno-Palpur National Park by August this year.

• A 10 sq km enclosure has reportedly been readied in the national park and would soon house at least 6 cheetahs.
• A senior official from the ministry said that a plan is underway to introduce 8-10 cheetahs every year. The cheetah is the only large carnivore to have gone extinct in India, primarily due to hunting and habitat loss. In 1952, the Indian government officially declared the Cheetah extinct in the country.
• There are two sub-species of cheetahs recognized today, the Asiatic (Acinonyx jubatus venaticus) and the African (Acinonyx jubatus jubatus).
• If the re-introduction of cheetahs into the wild is successful, it would mark the culmination of a decades-long process. The State Wildlife Board of Andhra Pradesh was the first to suggest the policy in 1955, on an experimental basis in two districts of the state.

Fast Radio Burst (FRB):Scientists discover a second mystery signal from space

• The scientists used the National Science Foundation’s Karl G Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) and other telescopes to study the object.
• FRBs are bright flashes of light that appear for a few milliseconds and then vanish.
• Since the first FRB was discovered in 2007, 140 more were discovered until June 2021, according to a post on the MIT website.
• Their origins are unknown, and their appearance is unpredictable.
• The new study in Nature describes FRB 20190520B, first discovered in 2019. What makes it different is that unlike many other FRBs, it emits frequent, repeating bursts of radio waves. And between bursts, it constantly emits weaker radio waves.
• Only one FRB has been previously observed to behave this way. Called FRB 121102, that was discovered in 2012.

Narendra Modi Inaugurates Biotech Startup Expo 2022

• Speaking on the occasion, the Prime Minister said that India''s bio-economy has grown 8 times in the last 8 years. “We have grown from $10 billion to $80 billion. India is not too far from reaching the league of top-10 countries in Biotech''s global ecosystem”, he said.
• The Prime Minister also noted the contribution of Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) in the development of the sector in the country.
• There are, the Prime Minister said, five big reasons why India is being considered a land of opportunities in the field of biotech.
  • First- diverse population and diverse climatic zones, Second- India''s talented human capital pool, Third- increasing efforts for ease of doing business in India.
  • Fourth- The demand for Bio-Products is increasing continuously in India and fifth- India''s Biotech Sector and its track record of success.

Rajnath Singh hands over 12 high-speed guard boats to Vietnam

• The boats have been constructed under the Government of India’s $US 100 million Defence Line of Credit to Vietnam.
• The initial five boats were built in the Larsen & Toubro (L&T) Shipyard in India and the other seven in Hong Ha Shipyard.
• The Raksha Mantri is on a three-day official visit to Vietnam. Both sides signed a ‘Joint Vision Statement on India-Vietnam Defence Partnership towards 2030’ to enhance defence cooperation.
• An MoU to simplify procedures for mutually beneficial logistic support was also inked between the two countries.

Union govt launches Rashtriya Puruskar Portal

• This common portal has been developed by the government to bring together all the awards under one digital platform.
• The Portal aims to facilitate citizens to nominate individuals and organizations for various awards instituted by the Government of India.

India planning to launch offshore wind energy projects

• During the meeting, transmission and evacuation infrastructure required for offshore wind projects of total capacity 10 GW off the coasts of Gujarat and Tamil Nadu, was discussed.
• It was decided to bid out offshore wind energy blocks as per the following trajectory:
  • Bids equivalent to a project capacity of 4.0 GW per year for a period of three years starting with the current FY 22-23 for development off the coast of Tamil Nadu and Gujarat for sale of power through open access / captive / bi-lateral third party sale / merchant sale
  • Subsequently a project capacity of 5 GW will be bid out every year for a period of five years i.e. up till FY 29-30.
• The project capacity of 8 GW bid out in the first two years beginning FY 22-23 will also be able to avail of the benefits of green attributes like carbon credits.
• Evacuation and transmission of power from offshore pooling Substation (PSS) to onshore transmission will be provided free of cost for all offshore wind capacities that will be bid out up to FY 29-30.
• The Ministry of New & Renewable Energy through its implementing agency will issue the first bid in the next three – four months for leasing out offshore wind energy blocks equivalent to 4.0 GW capacity off the coast of Tamil Nadu.