Cabinet approves Uttar Poorva Transformative Industrialization Scheme, 2024

About Uttar Poorva Transformative Industrialization Scheme (UNNATI):

• It is aimed at developing industries and generating employment in the North East Region, seeks to create productive economic activity in manufacturing and services.
• Its main objective is to generate gainful employment, leading to the overall socio-economic development of the region.
• Expenditure involved:
• This will be a Central Sector Scheme.
• It is proposed to be divided into two parts. Part, A caters to the incentives to the eligible units (Rs. 9737 crores), and Part B, is for implementation and institutional arrangements for the scheme. (Rs. 300 Crore).
• Salient features of the scheme
• Scheme period: The scheme will be effective from the date of Notification and up to 31.03.2034 along with 8 years of committed liabilities.
• Commencement of Production or operation: All eligible Industrial Units to commence their production or operation within 4 years from the grant of registration.
• Districts are categorized in two zones: Zone A (Industrially Advanced Districts) & Zone B (Industrially Backward Districts)
• Earmarking of funds:60% of the outlay of Part A has been earmarked to 8 NE states and 40% on First-In-First-Out (FIFO) basis.
• All new Industrial units and Expanding units would be eligible for the respective incentives.
• Implementation of the scheme will be overseen by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
• Committees at the national and state levels, including the Steering Committee and State Level Committee, will monitor implementation, ensure transparency, and recommend registration and incentives claims.

Cabinet Approves Ambitious IndiaAI Mission to Strengthen the AI Innovation Ecosystem

About IndiaAI Mission:

• It will establish a comprehensive ecosystem catalyzing AI innovation through strategic programs and partnerships across the public and private sectors.
• It will be implemented by ‘IndiaAI’ Independent Business Division (IBD) under Digital India Corporation (DIC).
• It has the following components:
• IndiaAI Compute Capacity: It will build a high-end scalable AI computing ecosystem to cater to the increasing demands from India’s rapidly expanding AI start-ups and research ecosystem. It will comprise AI compute infrastructure of 10,000 or more Graphics Processing Units (GPUs), built through public-private partnership. It will act as a one-stop solution for resources critical for AI innovation.
• IndiaAI Innovation Centre: It will undertake the development and deployment of indigenous Large Multimodal Models (LMMs) and domain-specific foundational models in critical sectors. 
• IndiaAI Datasets Platform: It will streamline access to quality non-personal datasets for AI Innovation. A unified data platform will be developed to provide a one-stop solution for seamless access to non-personal datasets to Indian Startups and Researchers.
• IndiaAI Application Development Initiative: It will promote the AI applications in critical sectors for the problem statements sourced from Central Ministries, State Departments, and other institutions.
• IndiaAI FutureSkills: It is conceptualized to mitigate barriers to entry into AI programs and will increase AI courses in undergraduate, masters-level, and Ph.D. programs. Further, Data and AI Labs will be set-up in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities across India to impart foundational level courses.
• IndiaAI Startup Financing: It is conceptualized to support and accelerate deep-tech AI startups and provide them streamlined access to funding to enable futuristic AI Projects.
• Safe & Trusted AI: It will enable the implementation of Responsible AI projects including the development of indigenous tools and frameworks, self-assessment checklists for innovators and other guidelines and governance frameworks.
• The IndiaAI Mission will propel innovation and build domestic capacities to ensure the tech sovereignty of India.

New species of parasitoid wasp discovered in Western Ghats

About Taeniogonalos deepaki:

• It was discovered in the Belgaum region of Karnataka. The genus Taeniogonalos belongs to the family Trigonalyidae of the order Hymenoptera.
• The Trigonalyidae family consists of a type of insects called hyperparasitoids that “sneak into” parasitoids or insects whose larvae develop on or within the bodies of other insects.
• Distribution: The Taeniogonalos genus is distributed in Afrotropical, oriental, eastern palaearctic, nearctic, Australian and neotropical regions; 6 of the species have been reported earlier from India and 20 from China.
• Most of the Taeniogonalos species have been reported from south India.

What is a parasitoid?

• It is an organism that has young that develop on or within another organism (the host), eventually killing it. They have characteristics of both predators and parasites

School Soil Health Programme and Central Fertilizer Quality Control and Training Institutes’ portal was launched.

About School Soil Health Programme:

• Department of Agriculture and Farmers welfare in collaboration with Department of School Education and Literacy has undertaken a pilot project on school soil health programme.
• Features
• Under the project, 20 soil labs were set up in 20 schools of Kendriya and Navodaya Vidylaya of rural areas. Study modules were developed and training was given to students and teachers.
• Mobile application was customized for the school programme and portal is having a separate segment for the programme where in all the activities of students has been documented.
• Kendriya Vidyalya, Navodaya Vidyalya and Eklavya Model Schools have been taken under this programme. Schools are being onboarded on the portal and online batches are being created.
• Department of Agriculture and Farmers welfare (DA&FW) through National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) will setup soil labs in these schools.
• School students will collect soil samples, test in the labs set up in schools and generate Soil health Card.
• After generating Soil Health Card, they will go to the farmers and educate them about recommendation of Soil health Card.
• Significance
• It will provide students with the chance to conduct experiments, analyze soil samples, and explore the fascinating biodiversity within the soil.
• By engaging in practical activities, students will develop critical thinking skills, problem-solving abilities and a holistic understanding of the interconnectedness of ecosystems.

‘Sahakar Se Samriddhi’: Ministry of Cooperation to Launch National Cooperative Database

About National Cooperative Database (NCD):

• It is an initiative of the Ministry of Cooperation which had recognized the imperative need for a robust database to capture vital information about India''s vast cooperative sector. 
• NCD has been developed in collaboration with State Governments, National Federations and stakeholders, and aims to foster a cooperative-centric economic model.
• It is a web-based digital dashboard wherein data of cooperative societies, including National/State Federations have been captured.
• The data of cooperative societies has been entered and validated by States/ UTs nodal officials at RCS/ DRCS offices, and the data of federations has been provided by various national/state federations.
• The information collected from cooperative societies are on various parameters, such as their registered name, date, location, number of members, sectoral information, area of operation, economic activities, financial statements, status of audit etc. 
• NCD serves as a crucial tool for efficient communication between the Central Ministry, States/UTs, and Cooperative Societies, benefiting all stakeholders in the cooperative sector. 
• NCD offers a myriad of benefits, including:
• Single-point access
• comprehensive and updated data
• user-friendly interface
• vertical and horizontal linkages
• query-based reports and graphs
• Management Information System (MIS) reports
• data analytics
• Geographical Mapping.

WHO highlights growing HIV drug resistance to dolutegravir

About Dolutegravir (DTG):

• It is an antiviral drug used with other medications to treat human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, the virus that can cause the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).
• Dolutegravir is in a class of medications called HIV integrase inhibitors. It works by decreasing the amount of HIV in your blood and increasing the number of immune cells.
• Although dolutegravir does not cure HIV, using it along with other medications may decrease your chance of developing AIDS and HIV-related illnesses such as serious infections or cancer.
• WHO has recommended the use of dolutegravir as the preferred first- and second-line HIV treatment for all population groups. 
• It is more effective, easier to take and has fewer side effects than other drugs currently in use.
• Common side effects of dolutegravir may include:
• headache;
• tiredness; or
• sleep problems (insomnia).
• Some side effects can be serious. These include severe skin rashes and allergic reactions, liver problems, and drug interactions.

What is HIV/AIDS?

• AIDS is a chronic, potentially life-threatening condition caused by HIV.
• HIV attacks the body’s immune system, making a person more vulnerable to other infections and diseases.
• If HIV is not treated, it can lead to AIDS.
• Transmission:
• It is a sexually transmitted infection (STI).
• It can also be spread by contact with infected blood, and from illicit injection drug use or by sharing needles.
• It can also be spread from mother to child during pregnancy, childbirth, or breastfeeding. 
• Treatment:
• There is currently no effective cure. Once people get HIV, they have it for life.
• But with proper medical care, HIV can be controlled. People with HIV who get effective HIV treatment (called antiretroviral therapy, or ART) can live long, healthy lives and protect their partners.

US Coast Guard ship Bertholf arrives in Port Blair ahead of joint exercise

About Sea Defenders-2024:

• It is a joint exercise between the Indian Coast Guard and the United States Coast Guard.
• Location: Off the coast of Port Blair, Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
• The two-day exercise will focus on maritime piracy and asymmetric threats, including simulated drone attacks on commercial merchant traffic, joint maritime search and rescue operations, major firefighting, marine pollution response, and counter-drug interdiction exercises.
• The event will also witness a simulated medical evacuation to enhance readiness in emergency situations.

Key Facts about Indian Coast Guard (ICG):

• It is an armed force that protects India''s maritime interests and enforces maritime law, with jurisdiction over the territorial waters of India, including its contiguous zone and exclusive economic zone.
• The ICG, working in coordination with other Union agencies, institutions and authorities, safeguards the maritime interests and security of India, assists vessels and fisherman in distress and protects the maritime environment.
• History: It was formally established in 1978 by the Coast Guard Act, 1978, as an independent Armed force of India.
• Parent ministry: It operates under the Ministry of Defence.
• Administration: The organization is headed by the Director General Indian Coast Guard (DGICG).
• HQ: New Delhi.

Villagers oppose declaring ‘orans’ as deemed forests, fearing loss of access and livelihood

About Orans:

• Orans are traditional sacred groves found in Rajasthan. These are community forests, preserved and managed by rural communities through institutions and codes that mark such forests as sacred.
• There are often local deities associated with Oran. They are rich in biodiversity and usually include a water body.
• Communities in Rajasthan have been conserving these Orans for centuries, and their lives have been intricately linked around these spaces. 
• Orans are also spaces where herders take their livestock for grazing and are places for communal congregations, festivals and other social events, the performance of which is linked to agrarian rhythms and the continued commitment of the communities towards environmental conservation. 
• Orans also form the natural habitat for India’s most critically endangered bird, the Great Indian Bustard (GIB), a protected species under the Wildlife Protection Act, which is also the State bird of Rajasthan. 

What are Sacred Groves?

• Sacred Groves are relic forest patches traditionally protected by communities in reverence of a deity. They form important repositories of forest biodiversity and provide refuge to many plant and animal species of conservation significance.
• Sacred groves are found all over India, especially in states like Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. 
• These are known as Kavu/Sarpa Kavu in Kerala, Devarakadu/Devkad in Karnataka, Deorai/Devrai in Maharashtra, Jahera/Thakuramma in Odisha, etc.

Centre can’t insist on withdrawal of suit by Kerala as it has right to move top court under Article 131: Supreme Court

About Article 131 of the Constitution of India:

• According to Article 131, the SC has exclusive and original jurisdiction over legal issues originating between States or between States and the Union.
• Original jurisdiction is the power of the court to hear and determine a dispute in the first instance. 
• The bare reading of Article 131 states that - Original jurisdiction of the SC:
• Subject to the provisions of this Constitution, the SC shall, to the exclusion of any other court, have original jurisdiction in any dispute:
• between the Government of India and one or more States; or
• between the Government of India and any State or States on one side and one or more other States on the other; or
• between two or more States, if and in so far as the dispute involves any question (whether of law or fact) on which the existence or extent of a legal right depends.
• The nature of Article 131 is subject to provisions of the Constitution and is limited to disputes involving legal rights, as mentioned in the Article itself.
• Thus, disputes of political nature are not covered under this, unless legal rights are at stake.
• The SC held that the meaning of the word ‘State’ under Article 131 does not include any private citizen, company, or a government department, even if it had filed a complaint along with any State Governments.
• Restrictions:
• The original jurisdiction of the SC does not extend to disputes arising out of any treaty, agreement, covenant, engagement, sanad, or any other similar instrument which came into being before the commencement of the Constitution.
• The parliament may exclude the jurisdiction of the SC in disputes relating to the use, distribution, or control of the water of any inter-state river;
• Suits brought by private individuals against the Government of India.