- Government says GM crops will make edible oil cheaper
- India is one of the largest producers of oilseeds in the world. The present rate of edible oil consumption in India surpasses the domestic production rate. Hence, the country has to rely on imports to meet the gap between demand and supply. India is the world’s second-largest consumer and number one importer of vegetable oil.
- 50 to 60 percent of edible oil is imported in India.
- The government said that the total edible oil demand of India was 24.6 million tonnes with domestic availability of only 11 .1 million tonnes.
- The petitioners have argued and challenged the government move to commercially release Dhara mustard hybrid 11 which is a genetically engineered variant of mustard.
- But it has shown increased yield per hectare of 25% to 30%.
- The Supreme Court said it only wanted what was good for India even as the government argued that growing genetically modified crops such as mustard would make quality edible oil cheaper for the common man.
2. Andhra becomes second state to take up caste census
- The Andhra Pradesh government kicked off its comprehensive caste census to enumerate all communities in the state.
- Volunteers will visit each and every home to collect the cast details which will be relayed to the village secretariat system.
- With this initiative Andhra Pradesh has become the second state in the country after Bihar to take up a cast census.
3. India needs region specific plans to improve climate resilience
- The India Meteorological Department entered the 150th year of its existence.
- It analyses the entire spectrum of climate and weather from Cyclones to fog to probe the mysteries of the Southwest monsoon.
- The Southwest monsoon accounts for nearly 76% of India’s annual rainfall with about 11% from the northeast monsoon. IMD is the National Meteorological Service of the country set up in 1875, and the principal government agency in all matters relating to meteorology and allied subjects. It is an agency of the Ministry of Earth Sciences, Government of India.
4.Chandrayaan-3 lander on the moon successfully pinged by orbiting NASA spacecraft using laser
- Successful laser ranging between NASA’s LRO and India’s Chandrayaan-3 Vikram lander: For the first time, a laser beam was successfully transmitted and reflected between LRO and Vikram on the moon’s surface.
- New method for precise location tracking: This experiment opens the door for a new method of accurately locating targets on the moon using laser ranging.
- Collaboration between NASA and ISRO: The retroreflector on Vikram was developed by NASA as part of a partnership with ISRO.
5.Great Indian Bustard
- The Great Indian Bustard (Ardeotis nigriceps) is a majestic bird, once widespread across the dry plains of India. Sadly, it’s now critically endangered, with only around 150 individuals estimated to remain in the wild
- The Great Indian Bustard is facing a number of threats, including:
- Habitat loss due to agriculture, development, and mining.
- Hunting and poaching.
- Collisions with power lines and wind turbines.
- Disturbance from human activities.
One Liners
- World’s Tallest Ambedkar Statue to be Unveiled in (Swaraj Maidan Grounds, Andhra Pradesh). Height of 206 feet, named Statue of Social Justice.
- India First Graphene Centre has Been Inaugrated in Makers Village, Kochi, Kerala by India Innovation Graphene Centre.
- January 20 – To raise awareness on Penguin conservation around the world by emphasizing the protection of their habitats.
