India to develop and build first indigenous Hydrogen Fuel Cell

• Hydrogen Fuel cells can be used in a wide range of applications, including transportation, material handling, stationary, portable, and emergency backup power applications.
• Fuel cells operating on hydrogen fuel are an efficient, environmentally-friendly, zero emission, direct current (DC) power source already applied to heavy duty bus, truck, and train applications, and are now under development for marine applications.
• The project would be carried out by Cochin Shipyard Limited in collaboration with Indian partners and the ground work in this regard have already begun
• The Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vessel based on Low Temperature Proton Exchange Membrane Technology (LT-PEM) called Fuel Cell Electric Vessel (FCEV) is expected to cost around Rs. 17.50 crores of which 75% would be funded by the Government of India.
• This project is expected to augment the efforts of the nation in achieving the Prime Minister’s ambitious target of becoming carbon neutral by 2070 and also in complying with the standards set by International Maritime Organization (IMO) that envisages a reduction in carbon intensity of international shipping by at least 40% by 2030 and progressively to 70% by 2050.

OIL signs MoU for Carbon sequestration and restoration of degraded forest land in Digboi:

• The initiative has been undertaken under OIL’s CSR project Vasundhara.
• Under the project, reforestation and afforestation in 100 hectare of degraded forest area is planned to be undertaken through plantation of 2,50,000 saplings by March 2025.
• Apart from plantation, establishment of a Bambusetum and other activities to reduce dependency on the forest by providing alternate livelihood opportunities is also planned to be undertaken.

Mandatory hallmarking of gold

• The second phase of the mandatory hallmarking will cover additional three caratages of gold jewellery/artefacts viz.20, 23 and 24 carats as mentioned in the Indian Standard IS 1417.
• The second phase will cover 32 new districts under the mandatory hallmarking regime wherein an AHC has been setup post implementation of the first phase of the mandatory hallmarking order. The Centre notified the order on April 04, 2022.
• BIS has been successful in implementation of Mandatory Hallmarking by Bureau of Indian Standards in 256 districts of the country with effect from 23 June 2021, wherein more than 3 lakh gold articles are being hallmarked with HUID every day.
• BIS has made a provision to allow a common consumer to get the purity of their unhallmarked gold jewellery tested at any of the BIS recognized Assaying and Hallmarking Centres (AHC).
• The AHC shall undertake the testing of gold jewellery from common consumers on priority and provide a test report to the consumer.
• The test report issued to the consumer will assure the consumer about the purity of their jewellery and will also be useful if the consumer wishes to sell the jewellery lying with him.
• The charges for testing of gold jewellery up to 4 articles is Rs 200. For 5 or more articles, the charges are Rs 45 per article.

APEDA launches gluten-free millet products

• A gluten-free diet (GFD) is a nutritional plan that strictly excludes gluten, which is a mixture of proteins found in wheat (and all of its species and hybrids, such as spelt, kamut, and triticale), as well as barley, rye, and oats.
• Gluten may cause both gastrointestinal and systemic symptoms for those with gluten-related disorders, including coeliac disease (CD), non-coeliac gluten sensitivity (NCGS), gluten ataxia, dermatitis herpetiformis (DH), and wheat allergy.
• Gluten proteins have low nutritional and biological value and the grains that contain gluten are not essential in the human diet.

Forest Fires Run Wild in Himachal Pradesh

• The early onset of summer this year in the hills posed a major challenge to the State government’s efforts to control forest fires and with dry weather conditions and high temperatures expected to continue, the task has become more difficult.
• Till April 28 this year, as many as 719 incidents of forest fires have been reported across the State, affecting close to 5,662 hectares under forest circles of Shimla, Chamba, Bilaspur, Dharamshala, Hamirpur, Kullu Mandi, Rampur, Nahan and the Great Himalayan National Park at Shamshi in the Kullu region.
• The estimated loss so far has been pegged at around ₹1.4 crore.
• In 2018-19, the State witnessed as many as 2,544 forest fire incidents while in 2019-20 the figure was down to 1,445. In 2020-21, there were 1,045 forest fire incidents and in 2021-22 as many as 1,275 fire instances were reported.
• The maximum number of forest fires are human-generated — many accidental but a few deliberate ones. In several areas, there is a practice of burning the pasture lands to get rid of the dry leaf litter to ensure fresh grass growth for livestock.
• Usually, when there is intermittent rainfall, such fires do not go out of control but when there’s prolonged dry weather, many of these fires go out of control.

Hottest April in Northwest, central India in 122 years: IMD

• Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh experienced the hottest April in over 122 years.
• As per the IMD, the average maximum temperature in April was recorded to be the highest-ever at 37.78 degree Celsius for central India, while it stood at 35.9 degrees for northwest India, nearly 3.35 degrees above normal.
• The all-India temperature was the fourth-highest at 35.05 degree Celsius since 1901. The rains have been scanty, and most western disturbances that impacted the region have been dry.

Judicial Infrastructure Development Authority to be formed at state level

• The resolution regarding this was passed during the Joint Conference of Chief Ministers of the States and Chief Justices of High Courts in New Delhi.
• The body will be created at the state level with the involvement of the CMs and Chief Justices or their nominees.
• The Centrally Sponsored Scheme for development of Infrastructure Facilities for Judiciary has been extended till 2025-26 with a budgetary outlay of Rs. 9,000 crores including the central share of Rs. 5,307 crores.
• Chief Justice of India NV Ramana has said lack of infrastructure is one of the main causes of delaying in delivering Justice. Chief Justice said, effective steps will be taken to ensure the clearing of cases pending for more than five years.

Online sale of wireless jammers illegal; CCPA warns

• Consumer Affairs Ministry said, sale and use of any wireless device without authorization and license under the Indian Telegraph Act or Indian Wireless Telegraphy Act is illegal.
• The Ministry said, as per the guidelines issued by the Central Government, Jammers may be allowed only under exceptional circumstances, only when authorized by Secretary (Security) and Cabinet Secretariat.
• The Department of Telecommunication had also issued an advisory in January this year with reference to illegal facilitation and sale of wireless jammers on online platforms.