Establishment of Ministry of Co-operation

The government established a separate “Co-operation Ministry” to realize the vision of “Sahkar se Samriddhi.”

This ministry will establish a separate administrative, legal, and policy framework to strengthen the country’s cooperative movement.

The Ministry will work to streamline processes for co-operatives to make it easier to do business and to facilitate the development of Multi-State Co-operatives (MSCS).

Matsya Setu App – Ministry of Fishery, Animal Husbandry, Dairy Ministry

The , Animal Husbandry, and Dairy Ministry have launched the Matsya Setu Mobile App.

About the Matsya Setu App:

This is an online course mobile application developed by ICAR-Central Freshwater Aquaculture Research Institute (ICAR-CIFA) in Bhubaneswar with funding from the National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB) in Hyderabad.

The app’s goal is to disseminate the most recent freshwater aquaculture technologies to the country’s aqua farmers.

The Matsya Setu application has a species/subject wise self-study online course module, in which famous aquaculture experts explain the fundamental concepts of breeding, seed production, and grow-out culture of commercially important fishes such as carp, catfish, scampi, murrel, ornamental fish, pearl farming, and so on. important commercial fish (such as carp, catfish, marine fish, mole, ornamental fish, pearl farming, etc.

The course platform also includes Better Management Practices for maintaining Soil and water quality, feeding, and Health management in aquaculture operations.

For the convenience of the learners, the modules are divided into small video chapters, along with additional Learning materials.

BHIMUPI Launched in Bhutan

In Bhutan, BHIMUPI was launched. On the occasion, India’s Finance Minister stated that the Services have begun in Bhutan as part of India’s “neighbourhood first” policy.

Highlights:

BHIM UPI is one of the highlights of digital transactions in India during the COVID-19 pandemic and is also an achievement, having created more than 100 million UPI QRs in the past 5 years.

BHIM UPI processed 22 billion transactions worth Rs 41 lakh crore in 2020-21.

Bhutan is the first country to adopt UPI standards for QR deployment with this launch.

RuPay cards are also accepted in Bhutan, where they will be officially launched during Prime Minister Modi’s visit in 2019.

Therefore, Bhutan is also the only country that simultaneously issues and accepts RuPay cards and accepts BHIM-UPI.

The mission includes plans to set upDairy Farmer Producer Organizations (Dairy FPOs)and to pilot five in different districts of the state in 2023-24, with a focus on female participation.

India ranks first in milk production globally, with Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, and Andhra Pradesh being the top-five milk-producing states.

Uttar Pradesh is a prominent state in Indias Industry, with a strong presence in milk production, processing, and distribution through numerous cattle farms and cooperatives.

The Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthan Mahabhiyan (PM-KUSUM) Scheme, launched in 2019, aims to enhance energy security for farmers in India and promote the use of clean energy in the agriculture sector. The scheme seeks to achieve Indias commitment to increasing the share of non-fossil fuel sources in the countrys installed capacity of electric power. In a bid to boost the implementation of solar projects on agricultural lands, the central government is considering linking thePM-KUSUM schemewith the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF). This move aims to provide farmers with access to cheaper loans for setting up solar projects and procuring equipment.

Individual farmers, groups of farmers, cooperatives, panchayats, Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs), and Water User Associations (WUAs) can set up solar power Plants with capacities ranging from 500 kW to 2 MW.

As the world enters anEl Niophasea natural climate phenomenon characterized by warmer waters in the Pacificcountries are bracing themselves for extreme weather events. The El Nio pattern fuelstropical cyclonesin the Pacific, increases rainfall and flood risks in parts of the Americas and other regions, and can have far-reaching implications. This years El Nio is of particular concern due to its potential interaction with climate change, which could result in record-high temperatures and intensified extreme weather events.

El Nio occurs when the trade winds in the equatorial Pacific slow down or reverse, causing unusually warm waters in the eastern Pacific. The weakening of trade winds leads to the movement of warm water from the western Pacific towards the central and eastern Pacific basins. This buildup of warm water contributes to the transfer of heat into the , triggering thunderstorms and altering weather patterns worldwide.

Performance Grading Index of Indian States

The Union Education Minister has approved the release of the Performance Grading Index (PGI) 2019-20 for Indian States and Union Territories.

For 2019-20, Punjab, Chandigarh, Nadu, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and Kerala have the highest grade (A++).

Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Puducherry, Punjab, and Tamil Nadu have improved their overall PGI score by 10%, i.e., by 100 points or more.

Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, and Punjab have improved by 10% (8 points) or more in the PGI domain: Access.

In the domain of PGI: Infrastructure and facilities, 13 states and UT have achieved an improvement of 10% (15 points) or more. Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Odisha have improved by 20% or more.

Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, and Odisha have improved by more than 10% in the PGI domain: Equity.

Black Carbon Report by World Bank

According to the report Glaciers of the Himalayas: https://exam.pscnotes.com/Climate-change”>Climate Change, Black Carbon, and Regional Resilience, glaciers in the Himalayas are melting faster than the global Average ice mass. A tough stance on black carbon can significantly reduce glacier melt.
The World Bank has released a report. The report included coverage of the Himalayas, Karakoram, and Hindu Kush (HKHK) mountain ranges.

Black Carbon (BC) is a pollutant with a short lifetime.

It is the second largest cause of Global Warming after carbon dioxide (CO2).

Unlike other greenhouse gas emissions, BC is quickly washed out of the Atmosphere and can be eliminated if emissions are reduced.

In India, one such policy is the National Mission on Sustaining Himalayan Ecosystem (NMSHE). It is one of eight missions outlined in the National Climate Change Action Plan (NAPCC).

United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration

The United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration has been formally launched, which will run from 2021 to 2030.

United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration will be co-led by using the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) & the Food & Agriculture-notes-for-state-psc-exams”>Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO). It used to be proclaimed by using the United Nations General Assembly in a 2019 resolution.

Protection and revival of thousands and thousands of hectares of Ecosystems all round the world for the advantage of people and nature. This in flip will contribute to the fulfillment of all the Goals.

A Multi-Partner Trust Fund has additionally been launched for the Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. Germany is the first country to provide funding of Euro 14 million toward this fund.

In order to support the launch of the UN Decade, a document has also been released which defines the want of having such a global restoration effort.

GRSE YUVA PRATIBHA Culinary Talent Hunt promoting millets and Indian heritage

MyGovandIHM, Pusaare launchingYUVA PRATIBHA Culinary Talent HuntonMay 12, 2023. The competition aims to promote Indias rich culinary heritage and showcase its value and significance to the world. It also aims to bring outlost recipes and promote the culinary talentsof young chefs and Home cooks.

In 2023, theUnited Nationsdeclared it as theInternational Year of the Milletsfollowing Indias proposal to position itself as a global hub for millet. have been an integral part of the Indian diet for centuries. The competition aims to increase the production and consumption of millets and promote awareness about their versatility and Health benefits.

The competition provides a unique opportunity for participants to showcasetheir creativity and innovationin cooking with healthy and sustainable ingredients, particularly millet. It aims to create awareness about the importance of millet in our diet and promote their consumption. The fusion of millets in this competition is expected to inspire young chefs and home cooks to explore and experiment with millets in their cooking.